The High Court’s verdict, which upheld the death sentences of former Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Teknaf Police Station Pradeep Kumar Das and former Inspector of Baharchhara Police Investigation Center Liakat Ali in the murder case of Major (Retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan, has been published.
The verdict was published on the Supreme Court’s website on Sunday. Prior to this, on 2 June, the High Court had upheld the sentences given to OC Pradeep and Liakat by the trial court.
The verdict describes OC Pradeep as the principal planner of the murder of Major (Retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan. It states that OC Pradeep, by being present at the scene, striking the victim’s chest, breaking two of his ribs, and pressing down on the left side of his neck with his foot, ensured Sinha’s death.
The accused Liakat, acting according to a premeditated plan and being present at the scene, fired four consecutive shots at Sinha with the intent to kill; the autopsy report confirms that the victim died from those gunshot wounds. Therefore, the trial court appropriately sentenced the accused Pradeep and Liakat to the maximum punishment of death under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Sinha Md Rashed Khan was killed in police firing at the Shamlapur checkpoint on the Marine Drive road in Teknaf on the night of 31 July 2020. In the case filed over this incident, the Cox’s Bazar District and Sessions Judge Court delivered its verdict on 31 January 2022.
The verdict sentenced Pradeep and Liakat to death and six other accused to life imprisonment. Additionally, the court acquitted seven individuals. The life-imprisoned accused are former SI Nandadulal Rakkhit, Constables Rubel Sharma and Sagar Dev, and Md Nurul Amin, Mohammad Ayaz, and Md Nizam Uddin from Marishbunia village, Baharchhara, Cox’s Bazar.
Subsequently, as per procedure, all case records for the confirmation of the death sentences (Death Reference) of the two death-row convicts were sent to the High Court. Concurrently, the convicted accused filed appeals and jail appeals.
After concluding the hearings on the convicts’ appeals against the sentences and the Death Reference, the High Court announced its verdict on 2 June. The full copy of that verdict has now been published.
After receiving the certified copy of this verdict, the defense must file an appeal with the Appellate Division. The case will reach its final disposition in the Appellate Division.
