Rifat Sharif murder: Ayesha Siddika Minni files appeal with HC

Ayesha Siddika Minni today filed an appeal with the High Court challenging the Barguna court verdict that convicted and sentenced her to death in the murder case of her husband Rifat Sharif.

Makkia Fatema Islam, the filing lawyer of Ayesha Siddika Minni, told The Daily Star that she filed the 18-page appeal on behalf of her client Minni along with more than 400-pages of documents of the case seeking her (Minni's) acquittal of the charges brought against her.

Meanwhile, ZI Khan Panna, principal counsel for Ayesha Siddika Minni, told this correspondent that the trial court has convicted and sentenced Minni based on her confessional statement made under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and CCTV footage.

"We will prove that Ayesha Siddika Minni is completely innocent during hearing of the appeal before the High Court," he said.

He said, "The High Court will now fix a date for hearing on the admission of the appeal. After the High Court admits the appeal for hearing, we will move a petition before the court seeking bail for her."

ZI Khan Panna said it cannot be said at this moment when the HC will hold hearing on the admission of appeal.

ZI Khan Panna and Makkia Fatema Islam said they have heard that other convicts of the case have filed separate appeals with the HC challenging the Barguna court verdict.    

Contacted, Supreme Court Spokesman Mohammad Saifur Rahman told The Daily Star this afternoon that he does not know whether the convicts of the Rifat Sharif murder case have filed any appeal with the HC.

A Barguna court on September 30 this year sentenced six people including Ayesha Siddika Minni to death in the murder of Rifat Sharif.

The other condemned convicts are Rakibul Hasan alias Rifat Farazi, Abdul Kaiyum alias Rabbi Akon, Mohaiminul Islam Sifat, Rezwanul Khan alias Tiktok Ridoy and Md Hasan. They were also fined Tk 50,000 each.

The Barguna court acquitted four accused -- Rafiul Islam Rabbi, Mohammad Sagor, Kamrul Islam Saimum and Md Musa -- as they were found innocent in the murder case.

The documents of the sensational Rifat Sharif murder case reached the HC on October 4 as a death reference to examine the trial court verdict.

Officials of the Barguna court brought the documents of the case, including the judgment, to the HC, its special officer Md Saifur Rahman told The Daily Star on that day.

He said HC authorities will now take necessary measures in line with relevant rules.

As per rules, the HC officials will scrutinise the documents and then prepare paper books for hearing on the death reference.

If a lower court sentences any person to death in a case, its judgment is examined by the HC through hearing arguments for confirmation of the death sentence. The case documents and judgment reach as death reference to the HC from the lower court in seven days after the latter delivers the verdict.