Titu gets 10 years jail

A Rangpur court on Tuesday sentenced Titu Roy to 10 years in prison in a case filed for defaming Islam and the Prophet in a Facebook post that led to an arson attack on houses of Hindus at Thakurpara in Rangpur on November 10, 2017.

The court also fined him Tk 50,000 and in default he will have to suffer five more months in jail.

Rangpur Cyber Tribunal Judge Dr Abdul Mazid handed the verdict in presence of Titu Roy. After examining 17 witnesses’ statements and hearing, the court reached the decision.

According to the case history, on November 10, 2017, a mob torched 10 houses and vandalised seven others and two temples at a Hindu village in Thakurpara area of Rangpur protesting a Facebook status defaming Islam and the Prophet allegedly posted by Titu Roy, a youth of Haorkoli Thakurpara and son of Late Khagendranath Roy.

A suspected attacker was killed and twenty others including fifteen policemen sustained injuries when the law enforcers opened fire to disperse the mob.

The Investigation officer of the case, the then sub-inspector of Gangachara Police Station, Mokbul Hossain submitted the charge sheet against 225 to the court.

Two cases were also filed with Kotwali and Gangachara police stations against unidentified 2,000 people including Titu and seventy-six people named in this connection.

Advocate Ruhul Amin Talukdar, representing the government, expressed satisfaction over the verdict while talking to the newsmen.

In response, defence lawyer Advocate Prosanto Kumar Ray said, “We will go to the higher court with an appeal.”