'I only cut the child into pieces, Dollar raped and killed her,' claims Ramisa murder accused Sohel
'Dollar promised to give me Tk2 lakh if I could bring the girl to him,' says Sohel Rana.
Highlights:
- Sohel Rana, the main accused in the Ramisa rape and murder case, blames a man named Dollar from Mirpur
- He claims to journalists that he only dismembered the child's body while Dollar committed the rape and murder
- Sohel says, standing in the dock, Dollar paid him Tk2 lakh to bring the child to him
- He alleges that police never conducted any DNA test on him and simply assumed his guilt
Sohel Rana, the main accused in a case involving the rape and murder of child Ramisa Akhter in the capital's Pallabi, has shifted the blame onto a man named Dollar from Mirpur.
"I only cut the child into two pieces. Dollar raped her and killed her," he claimed today (1 June) to journalists on the premises of a court in Dhaka, while being escorted back to prison after a hearing.
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This morning, Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Tribunal for the Prevention of Violence Against Children ordered the commencement of the trial by framing charges against Sohel and his wife Swapna Akhter.
Today's proceedings
Earlier in the day, at around 7:45am, Sohel was brought to court from Keraniganj Central Jail and Swapna from Kashimpur Jail.
Representing the state, Special Public Prosecutor Azizur Rahman Dulu argued in favour of framing charges, stating that the child, Ramisa, had been lured into a flat and forcibly raped inside its bathroom.
"At one stage of the torture, while bound, Ramisa lost consciousness. Thinking she was dead, the accused severed her head from her body with the intent to hide the corpse. Concurrently, her hands and legs were also severed inside the bathroom."
The prosecutor added that on the day of the incident, the victim's mother could not find Ramisa when she called out to send her to school.
Later, upon spotting one of her shoes, she broke down in tears, attracting nearby residents, he said.
"While doors to other flats in the building were opened, the accused individuals' flat remained locked, raising suspicions. Later, someone spotted blood inside the flat through a window.
"When the door was broken open, it was found that the accused Sohel Rana had fled. His wife then informed the people present that her husband had fled after committing the act."
Subsequently, the state-appointed defence lawyer, Musa Kalimullah, argued for the accused's exemption from the charges, contending that the investigation of the case had been concluded "hastily."
Furthermore, he said the police could not produce any eyewitnesses, raising objections to the charges brought against the accused.
After hearing both sides, the judge read out the charges levelled against Sohel.
Sohel sought the court's permission to speak, but it was denied.
Later, the charges brought against the other accused, Swapna, were also read out.
When the judge asked Swapna whether she considered herself guilty, she burst into tears. Turning to her husband, she said, "You tell them whether I am guilty or not."
At that moment, Sohel claimed before the court that Swapna was innocent.
Following the hearing, the court framed charges against the two and fixed tomorrow for recording witness testimony. The judge then left the courtroom.
Afterwards, Sohel and Swapna spoke to each other in the dock. He told her not to worry, saying he had given a statement clarifying that she had not been at fault.
At around 11:38am, police took Swapna from the dock to the lockup.
Meanwhile, standing in the dock, Sohel addressed the lawyers present, saying, "I did not rape her [Ramisa]; I only dismembered the body. A man named Dollar raped her.
"I committed a sin; punish me for that sin. Dollar promised to give me Tk2 lakh if I could bring the girl to him."
Police personnel then stopped him from speaking further.
While being moved from the court, Sohel told journalists, "Dollar's house is in Mirpur 11. Dollar is the main culprit behind Ramisa's rape and murder. Dollar did the raping and the killing. If you [journalists] question him, you will get all information."
He reiterated that his wife was innocent. "My wife did not help me. My wife is not at fault. The fault lies with Dollar. I am at fault, and Dollar is also at fault. I did not commit that big of a crime; I only cut the child into two pieces. Dollar raped and killed her."
He also claimed that the police had not performed any DNA test on him, adding, "They just assumed it [was me] automatically."
He continued, "Dollar gave me Tk2 lakh. Dollar is a very wealthy and moneyed man."
This marks the first instance of the name Dollar being linked to the case, with no additional details regarding his identity currently available.
