Magura rape-murder: Hitu Sheikh sentenced to death

In the case involving the rape and murder of an 8-year-old child in Magura, the court has delivered a death sentence to the primary accused, Hitu Sheikh.

On Saturday, Judge M. Zahid Hasan of the Magura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal pronounced the verdict.

Three other individuals were acquitted in the same case.

The court sentenced Hitu Sheikh, 50, the principal accused and father-in-law of the victim’s sister, to capital punishment. His wife, Jabeda Begum, 40, and their two sons, Sajib Sheikh, 20, and Ratul Sheikh, 25, were acquitted.

Public Prosecutor (PP) Monirul Islam Mukul of the Magura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal confirmed this information on the same day.

He added that a total of 29 witnesses provided testimony in the case, and seven pieces of evidence were presented.

According to the case details, the child was visiting her elder sister’s in-laws’ residence. On March 6th, at approximately 11:30 am, she was taken to the 250-bed hospital in Magura in an unconscious state.

Subsequently, on March 13th, the child succumbed to her injuries while receiving treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka. Prior to this, on March 8th, the child’s mother filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act at Magura Sadar Police Station, alleging attempted rape and murder.

Earlier, on April 13th, the investigation officer for the case, Inspector (Investigation) Md. Alauddin of Magura Sadar Police Station, submitted the charge sheet to the court.

On April 17th, the case was transferred from the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court to the Tribunal, and the charge sheet was accepted on April 20th. On March 15th, the child’s elder sister’s father-in-law provided a confessional statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Sabyasachi Roy.

Testimony in the case commenced on April 27th. Charges were framed under Section 9(2) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act (rape resulting in death) against the child’s elder sister’s father-in-law; under Section 506(2) of the Penal Code (criminal intimidation) against the elder sister’s husband and brother-in-law; and under Section 201 of the Penal Code (destruction of evidence of a crime) against the elder sister’s mother-in-law.