Nusrat murder: 4 death row convicts file pleas for acquittal

Four death-row convicts including sacked madrasa principal Siraj Ud Doula in Nusrat Jahan Rafi murder case today filed separate appeals with the High Court seeking their acquittal.

The rest three convicts are- Umme Sultana Poppy, Nur Uddin and Javed Hossain alias Sakhawat Hossain.

In the appeals, the convicts claimed themselves innocent and prayed to the HC to stay the trial court verdict that also fined them, their lawyer AM Jamiul Hoque Faisal told The Daily Star.

The lawyer said he will move a petition before the HC within few days for admitting the appeals for hearing.

A Feni court on October 24, handed down death sentence to all the 16 accused, including Siraj Ud Doula and two expelled local Awami League leaders, over the murder of madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi in April, the incident jolted the entire nation.

Mamunur Rashid, judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Feni, also fined the convicts Tk 1 lakh each and ordered the district magistrate to give the money to the victim’s parents.

The accused burnt Nusrat to death by pouring kerosene on her in a planned way and they deserved exemplary and harshest punishment, the judge said while delivering the judgment in a packed courtroom.

Siraj Ud Doula, the prime accused, was awarded capital punishment for giving the order to kill Nusrat while the others were given death penalty for plotting and committing the murder.

The convicts include Siraj, two teachers and 11 students of the madrasa, and two expelled AL leaders, who were members of the madrasa governing body.

The 19-year-old lost her battle for life on April 10, four days after she was set afire. She was sexually harassed by the then principal Siraj on March 27. Her mother filed a case against Siraj, who was later arrested and sent to jail.