Murder accused escapes from Dhaka court

An accused in a murder case, who had been in jail for around seven years, escaped from police custody from the premises of a Dhaka court today.

"The accused, Shariful Islam, fled the court's premises while being escorted to the lockup of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka around 11:40am," Sub-Inspector Ripon Molla, in-charge of the court lockup, told The Daily Star.

According to a court staffer, Shariful and his co-accused Shahin Mondal, were brought to the Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court-3 of Dhaka from a Kashimpur jail in connection with the case filed over the abduction and murder of 14-year-old schoolboy Jisan Hossain in Dhaka's Khilgaon in 2018.

While they were being taken to the court lockup after the prosecution witness' deposition, Shariful escaped, said the staffer.

"While being taken to the lockup from the courtroom, the accused hit constable Shahidullah and escaped," said SI Ripon.

Contacted, Main Uddin Chowdhury, additional deputy commissioner of DMP's prosecution division, said, "The accused was handcuffed. He used a metallic object to loosen the cuffs and removed them. Then he struck the police constable and escaped.

"We are taking legal action regarding the incident. A case is being prepared against him."

According to the case documents, on January 19, 2018, Jisan was abducted while going to a relative's house in Sipahibagh of Khilgaon in the capital.

His father Mofazzal Hossain later filed a general diary with Khilgaon Police Station. On January 23, he was informed that a boy's body, resembling Jisan's age, was at Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue. He went and identified the body as his son's.

On January 24, a murder case was filed.

On February 29, 2020, police submitted the charge sheet to the court against the two accused.

On September 5, 2021, the court framed charges against them.

Nine out of 37 prosecution witnesses have testified in the case so far, as per the case records.