Dhaka: The High Court (HC) today released full text of its verdict on death reference, criminal appeals and jail appeals of convicts in the case lodged over sensational Rakib murder in Khulna in 2015.

‘The full text of 39-page verdict was released after the two presiding judges signed on it. It has already been posted on the website of the apex court,’ a court official said.

The HC division bench comprising Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Md Jahangir Hossain on April 4, 2017, had pronounced the judgment commuting death sentences of two convicts to life imprisonment.

The court however, fined the two convicts Taka 50 thousand each.

‘...it is found that the accused persons removed the victim from the place of occurrence to the hospitals soon after incident... the accused persons did not fled away rather they tried to save the life of the victim. More so, both the accused persons have no significant history of prior criminal activities and their PC and PR [previous conviction and previous records] are found nil in the police report,’ the judgment said.

‘Therefore, we do find an extraneous ground to commute the sentence... In the above facts and circumstances of the case, we are of the view that ends of justice will be met if the accused persons are sentenced to one of imprisonment for life instead of awarding them sentences to death with a fine of Taka 50 thousand each, in default, to under R.I for 02 years,’ it added.

According to case records, Omar Sharif and Mintu killed Rakib, 12, by pumping air into his body through rectum on 3 August, 2015. Sharif was angry with Rakib as the latter had quitted his job in his garage.

Khulna Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court on 8 November, 2015, sentenced Sharif and Mintu to death in the case lodged by Rakib’s father.

Rakib’s father Nurul Alam Hawlader, however, had expressed his disappointment over the High Court verdict, saying he would file an appeal against the order.