Dhaka, Mar 7 (bdnews24.com) – The Supreme Court has upheld the commutation of banker Azam Reza's death sentence to life imprisonment for the 2004 murder of his wife architect Jayanti Reza.
The murder caused a media sensation five years ago. Brother of noted actress Shampa Reza, Azam Reza's initial death sentence was commuted to a life imprisonment by the High Court in 2008.
A four-member Appellate Division bench, headed by chief justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim, on Sunday dismissed a leave to appeal by the government against the High Court order commuting the death penalty.
It also dismissed a leave to appeal by Azam Reza challenging the High Court's sentence.
Azam Reza married Jayanti, daughter of journalist M Sadekin in 2000. On Jan 9 2004 Jayanti was found murdered in their Banani home.
Jayanti's mother Nusin Sadekin filed a murder case with Gulshan Police Station the next day. Police immediately arrested Azam Reza.
A Dhaka speedy trial tribunal handed down the death sentence to Azam Reza on Jan 14 2005. The High Court commuted the sentence to life imprisonment on July 21 2008.
At Sunday's hearing, advocate AK Badrul Haque stood for Azam Reza while deputy attorney general ASM Mubin stood for the government.
bdnews24.com/corr/su/rah/1549h
