Fresh murder case filed against ousted Bangladesh PM Hasina over fish trader's death
Dhaka (PTI): A new murder case has been filed against Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 62 others, including ex-ministers of her cabinet, over the death of a fish trader during the quota reform protests in the country, a media report said on Monday.
The case, filed late on Sunday, was the latest in the slew of cases filed against the 76-year-old leader after her resignation and fleeing to India on August 5 following a massive protest by students against a quota system in government jobs.
It was filed by Shahnaz Begum, the wife of Md Milon, who was shot dead on July 21 while returning home from a local fish market, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
As many as 62 people, including Hasina, former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former lawmaker Shamim Osman, and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, were named as accused in the case.
According to the report, leaders and activists of the Hasina-led Awami League and its affiliated organisations armed with firearms and sticks created obstacles to traffic on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway to disrupt the student movement.
It alleged that Hasina, Quader and Asaduzzaman ordered the shooting and attack on protesting students and the public.
Milon, who was returning home from a local fish market at that time, was shot in the chest and collapsed on the road. He was taken to Pro-Active Medical College and Hospital in the area, where he was declared dead, the report said.
This raises the number of cases filed against Hasina after her ouster to more than a dozen.
Over 230 people were killed in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students first started in mid-July.
An interim government was formed after the fall of the Hasina-led government, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed as its Chief Adviser.
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Court denies anticipatory bail to BJP MLA in rowdy sheeter murder case
Bengaluru (PTI): The Special Court for People's Representatives on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, in connection with the murder of rowdy sheeter.
The case pertains to the murder of Shivaprakash alias Biklu Shivu, who was hacked to death in the city in July 15 this year.
With the dismissal of the bail application, Basavaraj, who is alleged to be currently untraceable can be arrested any time by the investigating agency.
On December 19, Karnataka High Court had also rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Basavaraj in connection with the murder case. During the course of the investigation, the police began probing the alleged role of Basavaraj in the crime, who has been named as the fifth accused in the FIR.
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Senior advocate Sandesh Chauta appeared on behalf of Basavaraj, while Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Ashok Naik represented the CID in the Special Court.
SPP Naik placed a copy of the charge sheet before the court and pointed out that crucial tower location details are recorded on page 298 of the document.
He informed the court that there is evidence of a telephone conversation between accused No.1 and No.5. Naik argued that further crucial links in the case would emerge only after Basavaraj's arrest and custodial interrogation, and hence opposed the grant of anticipatory bail.
Countering the prosecution's claims, senior advocate Chauta contended that the case against Basavaraj is based on assumptions of conspiracy and intent, with no concrete evidence to support it.
He submitted that even five months after the incident, the investigating agency had failed to gather material establishing his client's involvement in the murder.
Chauta further argued that accused No.1, Jaga, was attempting to artificially link Basavaraj to the case by citing social interactions such as attending a birthday party and a visit to the Kumbh Mela, none of which, he said, had any connection to the alleged murder plot.
He also claimed that despite Basavaraj expressing willingness to cooperate with the investigation, no summons had been issued to him. On these grounds, the defence sought anticipatory bail.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhatt reserved the order earlier in the day and later pronounced the rejection of the bail plea.
