Cumilla District Court. Photo: Collected
A Cumilla court has sentenced a woman and three of her accomplices to death for the murder of her husband, an expatriate worker who returned from abroad.
Cumilla Fourth Additional District and Sessions Judge Md Jahangir Hossain delivered the verdict in the case on Wednesday (27 March) afternoon, said the court’s Assistant Public Prosecutor Abu Yusuf.
The death-row convicts have been identified as 35-year-old Shahnaz Begum, the wife of the victim, Md Kuddus, 32, Abdul Khalek, 29, and Md Rajib, 26. Another suspect, Md Shah Jahan, was acquitted.
The convicts were not present when the verdict was delivered. They are absconding. In addition to the death sentences, all four were fined Tk 50,000.
Shahnaz Begum, the wife of Saudi expatriate Abdul Jalil, began a romantic relationship with tube well businessman Md Shah Jahan, said Yusuf, citing the case documents.
On Jun 9, 2013, Shahnaz asked Jalil to come to Dhaka for medical treatment. She then hired Kuddus, Khalek, and Rajib, who ambushed Jalil on his way back home to Cumilla’s Homna, slit his throat and left his body by the side of the road.
Jalil’s younger brother Tajil Islam filed a murder case at Homna Police Station over the incident. Homna Police Station assigned Sub Inspector Abdullah Al Baki as the investigating officer in the case. Using technology, police arrested five people and brought them before the court. The fifth suspect was Md Shah Jahan, Shahnaz’s lover.
Shahnaz and the three others were later released on bail. SI Baki filed charges against the five on Sept 16, 2013.
On Oct 15, 2014, the court indicted the suspects and kicked off the trial.
The court delivered the verdict on Wednesday.
State lawyer Abu Yusuf said he was satisfied with the verdict. He said he hopes the verdict will be upheld by the higher courts and the death sentences will be carried out quickly.
Defence lawyer AHM Taifur Alam said he would challenge the verdict with a higher court after receiving a full copy.
Messenger/Mahbub
