Arguments on Rupa murder to begin Wednesday

The placing of arguments in the case filed over the murder of Zakia Sultana Rupa, a law student, after gang rape in a running bus will begin on Wednesday.

Acting Judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Tangail Abul Mansur Mia fixed the date after examining the accused on Sunday, said Advocate Nasimul Akhtar Nasim, a special public prosecutor of the tribunal.

Earlier on January 23, the court concluded the recording of the depositions of witnesses in the case. Twenty-seven witnesses out of total 32 testified before the court.

Nasim said the court cross-examined the accused after presenting the summery of the case.

The accused pleaded not guilty seeking justice.

Advocate Shamim Chowdhury Dowal and Advocate Delwar Hossain stood for the accused.

On October 25 last, a court here accepted the chargesheet against the accused bus driver Habibur, its supervisor Safar Ali, and helpers Shamim, Akram and Jahangir -- in the case.

Rupa, 27, was murdered after gang rape in the running bus while returning to Mymensingh from Bogra on August 25 last.

Police recovered the bloodstained body of Rupa from Panchmail area of Madhupur upazila on that night.

Following post-mortem, she was buried at the town central graveyard as unclaimed body.

Later, victim's relatives identified her seeing her photograph.

On August 28, police arrested the five accused from Mymensingh over the killing of Rupa.

On August 31, police exhumed the body of Rupa and handed it over to her family for burial in a proper manner.

Rupa, who completed her Masters from Bogra Azizul Haque College, was studying law at Dhaka Ideal Law College.

Source: unb