Sinha murder: OC Pradeep, Liaqat appeal to HC for acquittal

Former officer-in-charge (OC) of Teknaf Police Station, Pradeep Kumar, and suspended inspector of Baharchhara police outpost. Liakat Ali, sentenced to death in the sensational Major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan murder case, appealed to the High Court (HC) seeking acquittal.

Advocate Rana Dasgupta, Pradeep's lawyer, confirmed the news to the media on Tuesday.

Earlier on 31 January, a Cox's Bazar court gave the verdict in the murder case, sentencing Pradeep and Liaquat to death. The court also handed life imprisonment to six suspended policemen and their informants, and acquitted seven former cops.

In July 2020, police gunned down Sinha in Cox's Bazar's marine drive while he was driving to the capital. After the killing, police arrested two of his associates on narcotics charges the same night.

Pradeep and Liaquat initially characterised the killing as a shootout with police on the Teknaf-Cox's Bazar Marine Drive, an 80 km seaside scenic patch that became notorious for gunfights at night since Pradeep was appointed the OC of Teknaf police. 

During his tenure, a total of 205 people were killed in "gunfights" with police which the court termed "crossfire dramas" in the Sinha murder case verdict.

On 5 August 2020, Sinha's sister filed a murder case with a Cox's Bazar court accusing nine policemen. The court tasked the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) with the investigation.

On 13 December 2020, Rab submitted a charge sheet against 15 individuals, terming the killing a "premeditated murder".