Ramisa rape-murder: Accused Sohel now claims innocence, points finger at Dollar again
Meanwhile, his wife and co-accused, Swapna Akter, also denied the charges, claiming she had done nothing wrong.
The prime accused in the rape and murder of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter, Sohel Rana, sought pardon from the court while claiming his innocence during a defence hearing today (3 June).
Appearing before the Dhaka Tribunal for the Prevention of Violence Against Children, Sohel told Judge Masrur Saleqin, "Sir, I am innocent. I seek acquittal. Please forgive me."
Meanwhile, his wife and co-accused, Swapna Akter, also denied the charges, claiming she had done nothing wrong.
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The two accused were brought to court from jail. The judge took the bench at 11:10am and, under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, read out the charges and testimonies of 16 witnesses to the accused.
When asked whether they were guilty or not guilty, Swapna replied, "I did nothing. I am innocent."
"Sir, I am innocent. I seek acquittal. Please forgive me. Dollar was with me, but nobody saw him. Catch him, sir. He is guilty too," Sohel told the court.
Public Prosecutor Azizur Rahman Dulu said Sohel Rana initially claimed innocence before attempting to shift responsibility onto an alleged accomplice named Dollar.
"We argued from the state's side that the accused was resorting to clever tactics to delay proceedings. Later, Sohel Rana sought forgiveness and effectively admitted responsibility for the crime," the prosecutor said.
The court later fixed tomorrow (4 June) for the presentation of closing arguments.
On 1 June, the tribunal summoned 17 witnesses, including complainant and victim's father, Abdul Hannan Molla, in the case. The following day, after recording the testimonies of 16 witnesses, the tribunal declared the witness examination stage closed.
Earlier, on 24 May, the investigating officer in the case, Pallabi Police Station Sub-Inspector Ahiduzzaman, submitted a charge sheet against Sohel and Swapna.
The court subsequently transferred the case to the Dhaka Tribunal for the Prevention of Violence Against Children for trial.
According to the specific details compiled in the police chargesheet, the tragedy unfolded on the morning of 19 May when Ramisa Akter, a class-two student of Mirpur Popular Model School, left her family's flat.
The chargesheet states that the accused, Swapna Akter, who is the wife of prime accused Sohel, 30, intercepted the child and deceptively lured her inside their neighbouring apartment.
Once the child was inside, the husband, Sohel, confined Ramisa within their bathroom to carry out the brutal sexual assault, raping the child before dismembering her head, according to the chargesheet.
The chargesheet further details that around 10:30am, after Ramisa went missing, her mother began searching for her child to send her to school and discovered a shoe of hers placed outside the suspects' door.
Receiving no response to their knocks, the parents and other building residents forced entry into the flat, discovering Ramisa's decapitated body on the bedroom floor and her head concealed inside a large bucket.
Swapna Akter was caught standing at the scene and immediately confessed to her parents and neighbours that her husband had committed the assault and murder inside the bathroom.
Following the discovery, the victim's father, Abdul Hannan Mollah, lodged a formal case with the Pallabi Police Station naming Sohel and his wife, Swapna.
Police arrested Swapna from the crime scene and subsequently tracked down and apprehended Sohel from Fatullah in Narayanganj.
On 20 May, Sohel gave a formal judicial confession acknowledging his direct role in the crime, while Swapna was sent to jail on the same day.
