A Dhaka court on Tuesday deferred until a later date to pronounce its judgement in a case filed over rape of two private university students at a hotel in the capital’s posh Banani area in 2017.
“The judge is sick, so the verdict in the case has been deferred. The fresh date will be announced later,” confirmed Md Elias, a court assistant.
Earlier on October 3, Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-7 Judge Mosammat Kamrunnahar set October 12 for delivering the verdict as both prosecution and defence concluded their closing arguments in the case.
At the same time, the tribunal also cancelled the bail of five accused and sent them to jail.
The accused are — Safat Ahmed, son of Apan Jewellers owner Dildar Ahmed, his friends Nayeem Ashraf and Sadman Sakif, Safat's driver Billal Hossain and bodyguard Rahmat Ali.
On May 6, 2017, one of the two rape survivors filed the case with Banani police station against five people, including Safat.
According to the case statement, Safat and Nayeem raped the plaintiff and her friend at The Raintree Dhaka in Banani on March 28 that year, bringing them to the hotel for joining a birthday party.
Sadman, Billal, and Rahmat assisted them in the rape, it said.
Investigating officer Ismat Ara Emy, an inspector at Women Support and Investigation Division of police, submitted a charge sheet against the five accused on June 7, 2017.
A Dhaka tribunal on June 19, 2017, accepted the charge sheet and framed charges against the accused on July 13 that year.
Twenty-two out of total 47 witnesses testified in the case.
