All the arrested accused in the teenage boy Sheikh Samiul Alam Rajon murder case pleaded not guilty before a court on Sunday.They claimed themselves innocent when Judge of the Metropolitan Session’s Judge Court Akbar Hossain Mridha read out charges brought against them before them, said Emadullah Shahidul Islam Shahin, a lawyer appointed by Rajon’s father.
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Muhit Alam, brother of prime accused in the case Kamrul Islam, told the court that Jalalabad police forcibly took his confessional statement after keeping his wife and son hostage at the police station. “I made the confessional statement before the court following the torture,” he said.
Meanwhile, the prosecution on Sunday started placing arguments in the sensational murder case.
Additional public prosecutor Adv Mafur Ali said they will also place their arguments on Monday.
On completion of arguments by the prosecution, the defence lawyers will submit their arguments in the court, he said.
Earlier, the arrested 11 accused, including Kamrul Islam, were produced before the court.
A total of 36 witnesses made their depositions before the court from October 1 till October 18 in connection with the Rajon murder.
Following a petition filed by Kamrul Islam, the court on October 20 allowed cross-examination of 11 witnesses. The defence lawyers cross-examined them the following day.
On July 8, 13-year-old boy Sheikh Samiul Alam Rajon, son of Sheikh Azizur Rahman of Badeali village in Sadar upazila, was brutally tortured to death over a theft at Sundar Ali Market in Kumargaon area of the city.
The killers themselves took the video footage of the incident. The video clip went viral on social networking site Facebook and video-sharing site Youtube which triggered a widespread outcry.
Ten people were arrested in connection with the gruesome murder and eight of them made ‘confession’ separately to their involvement in the incident.
Later, the investigation officer of the case submitted charge sheet accusing 13 people on August 16 before the court in Sylhet.
The accused are Kamrul Islam, son of late Abdul Malek of Kumargaon Sheikhpara in Sylhet Sadar upazila, his brother Muhit Alam, Ali Haidar alias Ali, Shamim Alam, Pavel Islam, Moyna Miah alias Bara Moyna, Nur Ahmed alias Nur Miah, Dulal Ahmed, Ayaz Ali, Taj Uddin Badal, Firoz Maih, Asmot Ali alias Asmot Ullah and Ruhul Amin alias Ruhel.
On October 15, fugitive accused Kamrul was brought home from Saudi Arabia. Later, a court sent him to jail when he was produced before the court on the following day.
Kamrul Islam, 24, had fled to Saudi Arabia after the incident where he was held by local Bangladeshis and then handed over to Jeddah police.
The Saudi Interior Ministry earlier approved the extradition of Kamrul to Bangladesh. On July 21, the Interpol issued a notice against him.
