Shazneen killing: SC upholds death for 1, acquits 4

The Supreme Court has upheld death sentence for one person and acquitted four others in Scholastica School student Shazneen Tasnim Rahman killing case.

A five-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha, announced the verdict on Tuesday.

The convict whose death penalty has been upheld is Shahidul Islam alias Shahid, a domestic help of Shazneen’s house.

Those who have been acquitted are Syed Sazzad Mainuddin Hasan, a contractor for repair work of the house; Sazzad’s assistant Badal and maids Estema Khatun Minu and Parvin of the charges.

On April 23, 1998, Shazneen, a class IX student of Scholastica School in the city and daughter of Transcom Group chairman Latifur Rahman, was raped and murdered at her house.

On September 2, 2003, Judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Kazi Rahmatullah handed down death penalty to six accused for their involvement in planning and executing the murder.

Lawyer for the plaintiff SM Shahjan said Shazneen’s father Latifur Rahman filed a murder case after the incident.

Later, Detective Branch (DB) of police filed another case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal.

On July 10, 2006, the High Court upheld the death penalty of five convicts and acquitted carpenter Shaniram Mandal of the charges.

Later, four of the convicts filed a leave-to-appeal with the Supreme Court against the High Court order that was granted by the Appellate Division on April 26, 2009.

Another convict, Shahidul, filed a jail appeal.

The verdict today states that the case filed by Shazneen’s father will no longer continue, the counsel added.

With inputs from UNB