Why Minni should not get bail, HC asks govt
The Financial Express August 20, 2019
The High Court has ordered the government to explain in seven days why Aysha Siddika Minni, the wife of Refat Shorif who was brutally killed in the broad daylight in Barguna, should not get bail.
Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman issued the order after hearing Minni’s bail plea on Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.
The judges also ordered Barguna Sadar Police Inspector Md Humayun Kabir, who is investigating the case, to submit all the documents on Aug 28—the next hearing date—to the court.
A day before Minny made a confessional statement during the remand, Barguna Superintendent of Police Maruf Hossain, at a news briefing, said the wife of Refat confessed to her role in the murder.
The judges ordered the government to provide a written statement about the briefing.
Refat was hacked to death on Jun 26 on a Barguna road. A video of Minny’s desperate attempts to save her husband went viral on social media. The following day, Refat’s father Dulal Shorif accused 12 people in a case over the murder.
The case took a new turn after Dulal pointed the finger at Minny. Minny was interrogated at the Barguna police superintendent’s office. She was later arrested as ‘initial evidence’ pointed to her involvement in the killing, said SP Maruf Hossain.
A Barguna court subsequently granted police a five-day remand to interrogate Minny. She then gave a confessional statement after being produced in court on the third day of the remand, police said.
Later, she appealed to the Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court for withdrawal of the statement. “The police tortured Minny and compelled her to give a statement,” said Minny’s father. “Local politicians are behind it,” he alleged.
