Five accused of Banani double rape case sent to jail, verdict on October 12

A Dhaka court has set October 12 to deliver its verdict in the case of rape of two private university students at a hotel in Dhaka's Banani area four years ago on completion of prosecution and defence arguments.

Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-7 Judge Begum Kamrunnahar also cancelled the bail of five accused and directed to send them to jail after hearing both sides, said the plaintiff's lawyer Faruque Ahmed.

On June 7, 2017, investigation officer of the case Inspector Ismot Ara submitted a charge sheet to the court against the five accused.

On June 19, the same year the tribunal accepted the charge sheet, reports UNB.

Rape charges were pressed against the accused Safat Ahmed and Nayeem Ashraf while charges for assisting in rape was pressed against Safat's friend Sadman Sakif, Shafat's driver Billal Hossain and bodyguard Rahmat Ali.

On May 6, 2017, one of the two abused girls filed the case with Banani Police Station against five persons including Shafat and Shadman Sakif.

According to the case statement, Safat and Nayeem raped the plaintiff and her friend on March 28 at The Rain Tree Dhaka in Banani area while the three others assisted them.

The victims were acquainted with Safat through Sadman two weeks before the incident and they were tricked into attending a grand programme at the hotel on that day, said the statement.