Three JCD leaders jailed for mugging

The convicts are Golam Ohab Liton, 24, science and technology affairs secretary of JCD Dhaka College unit, Azizul Haq, 23, a member and Mohammad Ruhul Amin, assistant general secretary of the college unit JCD.

Of them, Ruhul Amin was awarded five years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) while Liton and Azizul Haq were given four years' RI. They were fined Tk 10,000 each, in default, to suffer three months more in jail.

Convict Ruhul Amin was tried in absentia and his punishment will be effective from the day of his arrest or surrender, the court said.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mir Ali Reza of Speedy Trial Court-6 handed down the sentence at a packed courtroom in presence of the convicts Liton and Azizul Haq.

Earlier, the prosecution and the defence completed their arguments and the court recorded statements of 17 prosecution witnesses.

Motijheel police arrested Liton and Azizul Haq, who were caught red-handed while mugging the sum from a jewellery shop employee in Motijheel area. But Ruhul Amin managed to escape.

The investigation officer pressed charges against them on June 28, showing 25 people as prosecution witnesses.

Dhanmondi police on June 19 seized about Tk 10 lakh from a room at the International Hostel of Dhaka College following the arrestee's statement.

Mohammad Abul Kashem, manager of Uma Jewellers, filed a case against three JCD leaders with Motijheel Police Station under the Speedy Trial (Law and Disruption) Act.

Police filed another case under the Arms Act against Liton and Azizul Haq and the case is now pending with Special Tribunal-9.

Relatives of the convicts were not found in the court area.

Court Sub-Inspector Azgar Ali Khan appeared for the state while advocates Monzur Alam and Ashraf-Ul-Alam defended the accused.