Sylhet’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal will hold trial of MC College rape: HC

The High Court today directed Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Sylhet to hold the trial of both charges: gang rape and snatching valuables of the victim at Sylhet's MC College in September last year.

Currently, two separate courts of Sylhet -- Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal and District and Sessions Judge's Court -- are holding trials of the charges.

The HC also directed police to provide security to the victim, informant of the case and informant's lawyer.

The commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police and officer-in-charge of Shah Poran Police Station of the district have been asked to ensure their security.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order after hearing a petition filed by victim's husband seeking transfer of the charges to one court from two separate courts.

Petitioner's lawyer Sabrina Zarin told the HC that if two separate courts hold the trial of the changes arising from the same first information report (FIR), the trials will not be fair.

She also said police have arrested informant of the case (husband of the victim) on February 6 as he could not appear before a trial court for giving statement for one day and that police are threatening his family and lawyer in Sylhet.

After hearing, the HC bench disposed of the petition saying that only Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Sylhet will hold trial of the sensational case.

A group of BCL activists -- some of them current and former students of MC College in Sylhet -- raped a woman after tying up her husband on September 25 last year.

Later that night, the victim's husband filed a case accusing six named and two to three unnamed people. So far, police have detained six persons, including four named in the case.