Col Faruk
Verdict in 3 cases not delivered
Court Correspondent
A Dhaka court yesterday could not deliver the verdict of the three cases filed ten years ago against Lt Colonel (dismissed) Syed Farukur Rahman -- also condemned in the Bangabandhu murder case -- as one of the key witnesses appeared before the court to give his statement on the day of the verdict.Judge Monzurul Bachhid of the Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court recorded statement of witness Sub-Inspector Subrata and fixed November 21 for delivery of the judgment. Earlier on October 9, the court heard the arguments from the prosecution and the defence and set November 1 for the delivery of the verdict. The cases -- one under the Arms Act, one under the Special Powers Act and the other under the Explosive Substances Act -- were filed with Cantonment Police Station on August 18, 1996. During the trial, the court recorded statements of six prosecution witnesses in each case. According to the prosecution, a team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) along with the then officer-in-charge (OC) of Cantonment Police Station raided Faruk's house at DOHS in the capital at about 3:45am on August 18, 1996, arrested Faruk and seized a revolver, a shotgun, an airgun, a Sten gun, 616 bullets, eight international passports, 2,830 Pakistani rupees and 62.75 Libyan dinars. Later, four cases were filed with Cantonment Police Station -- one under the Arms Act, one under the Foreign Currency Control Act, one under the Explosive Substances Act and the other under the Special Powers Act. Earlier on May 9 last year, the same court acquitted Lt Colonel (dismissed) Syed Farukur Rahman of charges in a case filed for possessing foreign currencies, as the charges brought against him were not proved. Another court on October 20, 2004 sentenced Faruk to life in jail in the Jail Killing case.
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