A Correspondent:
Chattogram: A Chattogram court will deliver its verdict today (Tuesday) in the sensational murder case of eight-year-old Jannatul Nesa, popularly known as Ira Moni, who died after her throat was slit in Sitakunda in March.
The verdict is set to come just four months after the incident.
Judge Jannatul Ferdous of the Chattogram Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4 fixed July 7 for pronouncing the judgment after hearing final arguments.
Tribunal Bench Assistant Abbas Hossain said the court set Tuesday for delivering the verdict following the conclusion of arguments.
The lone accused, 45-year-old Babu Sheikh, gave his defence statement on June 30. Earlier, the tribunal recorded testimonies of 16 prosecution witnesses in only six working days. The case reached the verdict stage within 10 working days after charges were framed.
According to the prosecution, Ira Moni, a second-grade student at a local primary school, lived with her family in the Master Para area of Chhoto Kumira in Sitakunda. Her father, Monirul Islam, is a tomtom driver.
Police arrested Babu Sheikh from the Kumira area on March 3. A resident of Madhyam Pulupara village in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha, he had been living in a rented house next to the victim’s family.
Police said Babu had planned to kill the child following a dispute with her father. Investigators alleged that he lured Ira Moni out of her home on March 1 by offering to buy her chocolates and take her on an outing. He then took her by bus to a hilly area near the Botanical Garden in Sitakunda, where he alleg-edly attempted to sexually assault her before slitting her throat.
Road construction workers later found the critically injured child in the area after she managed to walk out of the nearby jungle and seek help. She was first taken to Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where she died on March 3 after two days of treatment.
Police said the accused confessed during interrogation that he slit the child’s throat with a knife after his alleged attempt to sexually assault her failed and she threatened to reveal the incident.
The victim’s mother filed the case. Police submitted the charge sheet on June 11, the court framed charg-es on June 18, and the recording of witness testimonies began on June 21.
