Following the verdict in the shocking murder case of retired Major Sinha Md Rashed Khan on Monday, his elder sister Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous said she and her family would be fully satisfied only after the verdict was executed.
On the other hand, defence lawyers claimed that the Sinha murder case was a media trial.
Sharmin, who was the plaintiff in the case, said: “We expected the highest punishment for Liaqat and Pradeep. Our expectation is fulfilled for now.”
Major (retd) Sinha, an ex-student of Jahangirnagar University, was shot dead at the Shamlapur check-post on Marine Drive in Teknaf in 2020.
District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Ismail ordered the death penalty for suspended officer-in-charge of Teknaf police Pradeep Kumar Das and its former sub-inspector Liaqat Ali and life-term imprisonment for six others. The court acquitted seven other accused in the case.
"However, the seven people who were acquitted could have been given some form of punishment because they were also involved in the incident. That would have been more than expected,” she said.
Asked if she would file an appeal against the acquittal of the seven, she said she would decide it later after consulting with their lawyers.
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The plaintiff’s lawyer, Md Mohiuddin Khan, said he was both satisfied and had some issues with the verdict “because those who committed the murder received punishment. But some who were also guilty were acquitted. We are planning to appeal to the High Court in this connection.”
Meanwhile, the court in its observation said the murder of Major Sinha had been a pre-planned one.
Following the pronouncement of the verdict, in an immediate reaction, Advocate Faridul Alam, public prosecutor of Cox's Bazar District and Sessions Judge's Court, said Sinha was killed in a pre-planned assassination by Pradeep and Liaqat. “We are not fully satisfied with the verdict. We will take action after receiving the full copy of the verdict.”
Also Read- Court: Liaqat shot Sinha on Pradeep’s order
Pradeep’s lawyer Md Mohiuddin Khan said they would appeal against the verdict as their expectation had not been met.
The lawyer for three among the acquitted, Mohammad Zakaria, in an immediate reaction said that they were totally satisfied with the verdict.
“This has proved that justice prevails in the country,” he said.
The brother of one of the accused in the case, meanwhile, blamed the media for sensationalising the case and influencing the judicial proceedings.
He claimed that the Sinha murder case was a media trial. “You published the news making all the accused guilty. But not everyone was guilty. They have been framed mainly because of OC Pradeep.”
