Hotel Raintree Double Rape: Verdict on October 12

The court has fixed October 12 for announcing the verdict in the case filed against five people, including Safat Ahmed, son of Dildar Ahmed, the head of Apan Jewellers, for raping 2 students at the Raintree Hotel in Banani.

Judge Begum Kamrunnahar of Dhaka's women and children repression prevention tribunal-7 set the date for the verdict on Sunday (October 3) after hearing arguments from both sides in the court.

Lawyer Farooq Ahmed confirmed the information and said that five accused in the case were on bail. Today, the court canceled the bail of the accused and ordered to send them to jail.

On June 7, 2017, the investigating officer of the case, Inspector Ismat Ara Amy of the Women Support and Investigation Division (Victim Support Center) of the police, filed a chargesheet against the five. On June 19 of that year, the same tribunal accepted the chargesheet against the accused.

In the chargesheet, accused Safat Ahmed and Naeem Ashraf alias HM Halim were charged with rape under Section 9 (1) of the Women and Child Abuse Suppression Act. The other three accused in the case, Sadat Sakif, a friend of Safat Ahmed, bodyguard Rahmat Ali and driver Billal Hossain were also charged under Section 30 of the Act.

Two female private university students were allegedly raped by the accused under the influence of alcohol at Raintree Hotel in Banani on March 28, 2017. Later, one of the victims filed the case with Banani police on May 6 the same year.

On June 8, 2017, police submitted the charge sheet against all the five FIR-listed accused in the case. They were indicted on July 13.

A total of 21 out of 47 prosecution witnesses, including the complainant, have testified before the tribunal.