A paper-book has been prepared for the separate jail appeals filed by death row convicts Sohel Rana and his wife, Swapna Akter, challenging their death sentences for the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Pallabi, Mirpur.
As a result, the hearing on the appeals may begin in the High Court on any day.
The information was confirmed by the relevant branch of the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
On June 7, the Dhaka Metropolitan Children's Violence Suppression Tribunal sentenced the two accused to death in the case over the rape and murder of a child in Pallabi. The verdict was delivered just 19 days after the incident. The tribunal also fined Sohel Rana Tk500,000 and Swapna Akter Tk200,000.
The trial court’s judgment and all relevant documents were sent to the High Court’s Death Reference Branch on June 9 for approval of the death sentences, where the matter was registered as a death reference.
Meanwhile, Sohel and Swapna filed separate jail appeals through prison authorities on June 11, challenging the trial court’s verdict. The appeals were subsequently forwarded to the relevant High Court bench for a hearing on their admissibility.
