HC verdict on journalist Gautam killing Jan 30

The High Court yesterday fixed January 30 for delivering a verdict on the appeals in the journalist Gautam Das killing case.

Gautam Das, 30, was the Faridpur bureau chief of Bangla daily Samakal. He was killed at his office on November 17, 2005.

According to the case statement, Gautam was killed as he ran a series of news reports in Samakal against the accused. The reports were based on allegations of their involvement in corruption and irregularities in repairing Mujib Sarak of Faridpur.

Yesterday, the HC bench of Justice AKM Abdul Hakim and Justice Fatema Najib set January 30 for delivering the judgement after hearing appeals filed by the convicts.  

On June 27, 2013, a Dhaka court sentenced nine people to life imprisonment for killing the journalist. The convicts are Asif Imran, Asif Imtiaz Bulu, Zahid Khan, Kamrul Islam Apon, Asad Bin Kadir, Siddiqur Rahman Miah, Tamjid Hossain Babu, Rajib Hassan Miah and Abu Taher Mohammad Mortuza Ahsan, also known as Apollo Biswas. Of them, Apollo is on the run.

Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 also fined them Tk 50,000 each; in default, they will have to suffer one more year in jail.

The convicts then filed separate appeals with the HC challenging the trial court verdict.