Dhaka, Aug 1 (bdnews24.com)—The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the life sentence the High Court had handed down to Yasin Rahman Titu for killing an Indian national over a decade ago.
The six-strong Appellate Division bench headed by the Chief Justice Md Mozammel Hossain decided to uphold the verdict after hearing an appeal by Titu, who planned the killing of Gibran Tayebi.
Gibran along with his wife Titly Nandi were living in Chittagong as his job required. He was the son of the police chief of the Indian state of West Bengal.
Titu is the Chairman of KDS Group and also the son of Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Khalilur Rahman.
A top official of a private shipping company, Gibran was killed in front of a Chinese restaurant at Dewanhat on June 9, 1999. Gibran's colleague James Roy filed a murder case at Double Mooring Police Station the day after the killing.
On Nov 22, 1999, police submitted charge-sheet against eight suspects including Titu.
In a trial that lasted over two years, the Chittagong Metropolitan Session's Judge's Court sentenced five of them in jail to life on Apr 12, 2002, but it acquitted Titu and two others.
About five years later, on Mar 28, 2007, the prosecution challenged the verdict in the High Court, drawing a life sentence for Titu, who was absconding at the time. The court also passed same order for the two others acquitted by the lower court. The court, however, acquitted one of the five handed life sentence.
Titu surrendered on Oct 9 last year after the High Court gave its verdict and the court sent him to jail. He appealed against the High Court order in the Appellate Division on Oct 17. The Appellate Division enlisted the case for hearing on Oct 24.
Additional Attorney General MK Rahman argued for the state assisted by Gibran's family lawyer Mohsin Rashid. Lawyers Anisul Haq and Sheikh Fazle Nur Taposh argued for the accused.
Haq said they would decide next course of action after getting official copy of the full order from the court.
State counsel Rahman said the disposal of such an appeal in only seven days was a rare instance. According to him, the order will take effect from the day of Titu's surrender before court.
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