Dhaka, June 3 (bdnews24.com) – The Appellate Division has commuted the death penalty of three youths to 14 years' rigorous imprisonment in the murder case of Sadia Sultana Trisha, a schoolgirl of Gaibandha district.
A seven-strong full bench headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Muzammel Hossain delivered the verdict on Sunday after allowing appeals filed by the convicts, in part against the High Court verdict.
The convicts are Mehadi Hassan Modern, Mohammad Shahin and Ariful Islam Asha.
Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan argued for the trio at the hearing while Deputy Attorney General Rajik Al Jalil stood for the state.
Trisha, a student of Madyhaparha Primary School, jumped into a pond and drowned after the three youths chased her in a bid to violate her when she was returning home from school on July 17, 2002.
Her father Abdus Sattar filed a case accusing the youths on the same day.
The District and Sessions Judge of Gaibandha on Sep 30 the same year handed down the death sentence to the three convicts.
After the convicts appealed to the High Court against the lower court judgment, the High Court on May 19, 2004 rejected their appeals and confirmed the death sentence.
Later, the trio filed three separate leave to appeal petitions to the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict.
The Appellate Division on Feb 19, 2005 allowed them to file regular appeals against the High Court verdict.
In line with the order, the three convicts filed regular appeals to the apex court seeking mercy. After holding hearing on the appeals, the top court delivered the verdict on Sunday.
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