Dhaka court to deliver verdict in murder of Rajshahi University student Shifat

A Dhaka court is expected to deliver the verdict in the murder of Rajshahi University Student Waheeda Shifat.

Court Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 27 Feb 2017, 05:11 AM
Updated : 27 Feb 2017, 10:34 AM

In March 2015, the journalism student was found dead at the house of her in-laws in Rajshahi City.

Judge Sayeed Ahmed of Dhaka's Third Speedy Trial Tribunal concluded the trial on Feb 12 and kept its verdict pending for Monday.

Shifat's husband Mohammad Asif Prisley, in-laws Mohammad Ramzan and Nazmun Nahar Nazli, and a Rajshahi Medical College forensic expert Zobaidur Rahman stand accused in the case.

Prisley is now behind bars while the others are out on bail.

After Shifat was found dead on the evening of Mar 29, 2015, her husband's family claimed she had committed suicide.

The victim's family started a murder case with police in Rajshahi the next day.

An autopsy conducted at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital concluded that it was a suicide, but a second autopsy at the Rangpur Medical College Hospital found it to be a homicide.

Forensic experts in Rangpur said the body bore several injury marks.

Rajshahi police's Detective Branch was in charge of the investigation, which was later handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

In March last year, the CID pressed charges against the four and submitted its report to the court of Rajshahi's chief metropolitan magistrate.

Investigations found that the victim died of injuries, but her husband and in-laws tried to cover it up by claiming it a suicide.

It also said that Zobaidur Rahman, who performed the first autopsy, concealed the fact of injuries on the body and filed a' false report' of suicide.

The four have been booked under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, where they stand accused of murder for dowry.

In July last year, the case was transferred to the speedy trial tribunal in Dhaka following a petition by the plaintiff.