Court Sentences Sohel and Wife Swapna to Death for Rape and Decapitation

A specialized tribunal in Dhaka has sentenced Sohel Rana and his wife, Swapna Khatun, to death for the brutal rape and subsequent decapitation of eight-year-old schoolgirl Ramisa Akhter in the capital's Pallabi locality. Judge Masroor Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Tribunal for the Suppression of Violence Against Children pronounced the verdict on Sunday.

The court premises operated under tight security protocols from early morning ahead of the high-profile judgment. The prime convict's wife, Swapna, was escorted to the court premises at approximately 8:30 AM, followed shortly by the principal accused, Sohel Rana, who was brought from jail in a secure prison van at 8:50 AM. The two individuals were initially held in the lockup facility of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court before being transferred to the dock just prior to the session. The presiding judge commenced reading the comprehensive verdict shortly after 11:00 AM.

A Gruesome Crime and Swift Legal Action

The horrifying incident took place on May 19 inside a residential apartment in Pallabi, where eight-year-old Ramisa was sexually assaulted and murdered. The discovery of the crime triggered immense public outrage and intense protests nationwide, with various quarters demanding immediate justice, prompting high-level government assurances for an expedited trial.

On the very day of the occurrence, law enforcement officials arrested the primary suspect, Sohel Rana, from the Fatullah area in Narayanganj, while simultaneously detaining his wife, Swapna. The victim's father, Abdul Hannan Molla, filed a formal case at the Pallabi Police Station the next day, naming Sohel Rana as the principal accused alongside Swapna and several unidentified individuals.

The legal proceedings moved at an unprecedented pace. On May 24, the Investigating Officer of the case, Sub-Inspector (SI) Ohiduzzaman of Pallabi Police Station, submitted a formal charge sheet to the court accusing both Sohel Rana and Swapna Akhter.

The court took immediate cognizance of the charge sheet and transferred the case to the Dhaka Tribunal for the Suppression of Violence Against Children for trial. On the exact same day, Judge Masroor Salekin accepted the formal charges into record and scheduled June 1 for the official indictment and charge-framing hearing.

Chamber of Horrors: Details of the Investigation

According to the details outlined in the prosecution's case file, the victim, Ramisa Akhter, was a second-grade student at the Popular Model High School. At approximately 9:30 AM on May 19, as Ramisa stepped out of her family residence, the accused Swapna Akhter deceptively lured the young child into their flat. By 10:30 AM, as Ramisa's parents began searching for her so she could get ready for school, they noticed her shoes placed significantly outside the doorstep of the accused couple's room.

Receiving no response after repeatedly knocking and calling out, Ramisa's parents, accompanied by neighboring tenants, broke open the main door to gain entry. Upon entering the apartment, they discovered a horrific scene: Ramisa's decapitated body was lying on the bedroom floor, while her severed head had been concealed inside a large bucket in the room.

Swapna Akhter, who was found standing inside the room at the time of the discovery, was immediately confronted by the family. She confessed on the spot that her husband, Mohammad Sohel Rana, 30, had locked Ramisa inside the bathroom to gratify his lust, where he forcibly raped the child before slitting her throat.

Following her initial arrest on May 19, police tracked down Sohel Rana in Narayanganj. On May 20, the main perpetrator, Sohel Rana, gave a formal confessional statement admitting his guilt before the court, while his accomplice wife was sent directly to prison.