Minny ‘confesses’ to husband Refat murder conspiracy, her father alleges torture

Barguna Government College student Aysha Siddika Minny has made a confessional statement in court over the murder of her husband Refat Shorif, police say.

Her father Mozammel Hossain Kishore, however, has alleged that she was “coerced” into giving the statement following “torture in police custody”.

She communicated with the murderers and held meetings with the masterminds behind the fatal attack on Refat, police said when she was being quizzed in custody on Thursday.

On Friday afternoon, three days into her five-day remand, police took her to court where she gave the statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure or CrPC, Barguna Sadar Police Station Inspector Humayun Kabir, who is investigating the case, said.

Such statements recorded by the court in the course of investigation can be used as evidence during trial.

Inspector Humayun could not give details of Minny’s statement to the court.

Asked why she was taken to court before the remand ended, he said, “We are done gathering whatever information we needed from her. Moreover, she volunteered the statement.”

The judge, Barguna Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Sirajul Islam Gazi, ordered her into jail in the evening after recording the statement.

When Minny was giving the statement, her father Mozammel came to the court premises and said: “My daughter has been brought to the court for confession as part of a conspiracy. She has been ruthlessly tortured. She may not live on after such torture.” 

The father threatened to take his own life if his daughter died from the “torture”.

Mozammel also alleged that Minny has been framed in a plot to “save the killers by using political influence”.

He called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to intervene and save her daughter.

“Even the lawyers have been asked not to stand for my daughter. She is innocent. She wants justice for the murder of her husband,” he said. 

The father said Minny has been ill for a long time.

“I figured out that she was being tortured when they (police) came to my house yesterday (Thursday) for her prescription,” he said.

Inspector Humayun denied the allegation of torturing Minny and framing her under political influence.

“It’s not true. We are not under any such pressure,” he said.

Barguna Superintendent of Police Md Maruf Hossain on Thursday said police found evidence of her involvement in the murder conspiracy.

Refat, 23, died after a group of assailants hacked him after beating him up on College Road in the town on June 26 when he went to pick up his wife from college.

A video of Minny trying to save her husband from the attackers went viral on social media, creating an outrage.

Police killed the key suspect, Sabbir Ahmed alias Nayon Bond, in a so-called gunfight on July 2.

Meanwhile, Refat’s father Dulal Shorif pointed the finger at his daughter-in-law, claiming she had hidden her “marriage” with Nayon from them.

Minny denied having links to the murder, but said Nayon had forced her to sign some marriage papers once.

She also said Nayon’s gang was “very powerful” and trying to save themselves.

Police arrested her last Tuesday following daylong interrogation after the allegations against her surfaced.