Wrong Man Death-sentenced - IO plays down court order, says he’s right

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The investigation officer (IO) of Liaqat murder case who was identified by the High Court (HC) as guilty for wrongly accusing innocent Shah Alam Babu in the name of Sundar Babu as a murderer said his investigation was correct.

Meanwhile, the judge of the case, who was also found guilty by the HC for illegally awarding the death penalty to Shah Alam mentioning him as Sundar Babu, may appeal in the Supreme Court against the HC verdict, sources said.

Following the charge sheet submitted by IO Rezaul Karim, Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Shamsul Alam Khan awarded the death penalty to three persons including Shah Alam Babu on August 18 last year.

The HC in its verdict in the death reference case on Tuesday said the IO accused Shah Alam Babu in the charge sheet despite the absence of minimum evidence and witnesses against him in the investigation. The court directed the government and police authorities to take stern action against the IO.

The HC also ordered to strip judicial power of Judge Shamsul Alam Khan who is now the judge of the Chittagong Woman and Child Repression Control Tribunal-2.

Defending himself Rezaul, now officer-in-charge of Hazaribagh Police Station, told The Daily Star yesterday, “I identified Shah Alam Babu as Sundar Babu correctly and he is responsible for the murder.

“I did not do anything wrong in the investigation. The person the court awarded death sentence as the main accused of Liaqat murder is Sundar Babu.”

Rezaul, however, denied to make any direct comment on the HC verdict that found him guilty.

Gazi Liaqat Hossain, a leader of transport workers, was shot dead at his house at Sutrapur on March 14, 1998. Rezaul investigated the case and submitted the charge sheet.

The media had earlier reported that the IO had accused Shah Alam Babu in place of Sundar Babu in the murder case.

Liaqat’s wife Rokeya Begum had also testified that Shah Alam Babu was not the accused Sundar Babu.

But Rezaul told The Daily Star last night, “The incident took place seven years ago. The plaintiff may have had some kind of understanding with the accused during these seven years.”

He said he will talk to the higher authority of the police after receiving the copy of the HC judgment and then will decide whether to appeal in the SC against the verdict.

Our staff correspondent in Chittagong reports: Judge Shamsul Alam came to his office at the Chittagong Court Building as usually yesterday but refrained from attending the court.

He also refused to make any comment on the HC verdict.

Earlier, Shamsul Alam Khan was posted to Bagerhat as district and sessions judge on June 10. He joined the Chittagong Woman and Child Repression Control Tribunal-2 on Sunday.

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