5 to die for killing minor boy in Jamalpur

A court here yesterday sentenced five people to death for killing a minor boy after abduction in Sadar upazila in 2001.

The death penalty awardees are Tofayel Islam Hira, 35 his father Lokman Ali, 57, of Dariahamidpur village; Anwar Hossain, 37, his father Aynul Haq, 60, and Sohel Rana alias Shipon, 36, of Nandina Kharkharia village in the upazila.

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According to the prosecution, there was a family feud between Lokman and his brother Lutfur Rahman. As a sequel to that, Lokman's son Hira with the help of Sohel and Anwar picked up Muttasim Billah, 7, son of Lutfur Rahman, an expatriate in USA, from in front of his house at Amlapara in the district town on May 31, 2001.

Later, they took Muttasim to Aynul's house at Nandina Kharkharia village and strangled him.

Following a general diary (GD) filed by Muttasim's family with Sadar Police Station, police arrested Shipon. On the basis of his confessional statement, law enforcers recovered Muttasim's body from a room of Aynul's house 80 days after the murder.

Muttasim's maternal uncle filed a case, accusing with Jamalpur Police Station, accusing Hira, Lokman, Anwar, Aynul, Sohel, and Faruk. After investigation, police pressed charges against the six.

After examining the records and witnesses, Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammed Waheduzzaman Shikdar handed down the verdict, acquitting Faruk as allegation brought against him could not be proved.