Shafat Ahmed, son Apan Jewelers owner Dildar Ahmed, and four other accused have pleaded not guilty in a sensational rape case involving Banani’s Raintree Hotel four years ago.
The accused demanded justice when Judge Begum Kamrunnaher of the Dhaka’s Seventh Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal read out the charges and asked them whether they were guilty or not in the case.
After recording defence statements, the tribunal fixed September 5 for arguments in the case.
All the accused are now on bail. Four of them gave confessional statements before magistrates on different dates.
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The four other accused are Nayem Ashraf, Shadman Sakif, Shafat’s driver Billal Hossain and bodyguard Rahmat Ali.
Two female private university students were allegedly raped by the accused under the influence of alcohol at Raintree Hotel in Banani on March 28, 2017. Later, one of the victims filed the case with Banani police on May 6 the same year.
On June 8, 2017, police submitted the charge sheet against all the five FIR-listed accused in the case. They were indicted on July 13.
A total of 21 out of 47 prosecution witnesses, including the complainant, have testified before the tribunal.
