Court rebukes investigating officers for ‘gross neglect’ in rape case against Viqarunnisa Noon teacher Parimal

A judge has pulled up the investigators who were on a rape case against former Viqarunnisa Noon School and College teacher Parimal Joydhar for ‘gross negligence’.

In the verdict, Judge Saleh Uddin of Dhaka’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4 ordered rigorous life imprisonment for Joydhar on Wednesday.

“Such negligence by two senior officers in the rank of police inspector is not acceptable in any way,” judge Uddin observed in the verdict.

Inspectors SM Shahadat Hossain and Mahbubey Khoda investigated the case in turn.

Joydhar, the only accused in the case over the rape of a student filed four years ago, got the highest punishment for such offence.

The court said the verdict against him was issued taking into account the ineffectiveness of defence argument, the statement of the victim, the confession of the accused and taking everything into account.

“It would have been more helpful to prove the charges brought by the victim if they (investigators) investigated properly,” the judge observed.

“But, it can’t be said that the charges brought in the case have not been proved beyond doubt due to the laxity in their investigation,” he said.

Joydhar, hailing from Gopalganj’s Kotaliparha, joined the school’s Bashundhara campus in 2010 as a Bangla teacher.

When the case was lodged in July 2011, the victim’s father, besides accusing Joydhar of sexual abuse, also claimed that the campus' then principal Hosne Ara and then chief Lutfar Rahman had tried to cover up the incident.

Police filed the chargesheet in August 2011. On Mar 7, 2012, the court indicted Joydhar, but acquitted the other two.

The defence argued that Joydhar was a victim of a dispute between Hosne Ara and the management of the institution.

“The defence could not establish that argument even after questioning the State witnesses,” the court said.

The defence also alleged that Joydhar did not give the confession voluntarily.

Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud, who took the confession, said he followed all the legal provisions while recording the statement.

He said he believed the accused gave the confession willingly.

Parimal unconcerned

Convict Parimal Joydhar seemed to be unperturbed in the dock before and after the verdict on Wednesday.

"I’m respectful to the law but what else can I say after the honourable judge has pronounced the verdict? I'm innocent, that's all I can say," he told bdnews24.com after the verdict.

He declined further comment.

His lawyer Mahfuz Mia asked him not to smile before the verdict and while speaking to reporters.

Mia said they would challenge the verdict in higher court.

After the verdict, he said, “We did not expect anything else since there was pressure from the media.”

He claimed the plaintiff did not allege in the case that his daughter had been raped.

“The milieu of the rape incident is suspicious. The accused should have got the benefit of doubt,” he said.

“I think the High Court will reverse the verdict issued emotionally,” he added.

Parimal’s father Khitish Joydhar claimed in Gopalganj his son was framed in the case.