A court in Dhaka has set Jan 30 to give its verdict against former Awami League lawmaker Pinu Khan’s son Bakhtiyar Alam Rony in the 2015 murders of two people.
Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Manjurul Imam set the date after concluding the further hearing on Tuesday (Jan 15), court’s assistant public prosecutor Mohammad Maksudur Rahman told Bangla Tribune.
Earlier the court deferred the verdict twice on Sep 10 and May 8 of last year.
In 2015, two people died when shots were fired from a sports utility vehicle in capital Dhaka’s Eskaton area.
The victims — auto-rickshaw driver Yakub Ali and rickshaw-puller Abdul Hakim— died in the incident around 1:45am on Apr 14 that year.
Hakim died a day later and Yakub on Apr 23.
Investigations found the shots were fired from a black Land Cruiser Prado, which was traced to Awami League MP Pinu Khan.
Her son Rony, arrested on May 31 the same year in a case started by Hakim’s mother, allegedly opened fire from his licensed gun under the influence of drugs as he became irritated after being stuck in a traffic congestion.
In July the same year, the detective branch charged Rony in court.
Murder charges have been brought against Rony, who faces death or imprisonment for life and may also be fined.
Investigators said the shooting might not have been intended to commit murder, but the suspect knew someone could get injured or die in the firing.
The prosecution produced 37 witnesses as well as pieces of evidence, including the ballistic report of the bullets found in the bodies and cancellation of Rony’s gun licence.
Imran Fakir, the driver of Rony’s car, and two of Rony’s friends – ‘Tiger Kamal’ and Kamal Mahmud - who were in the car during the incident, testified before court describing the alleged shooting by Rony.
Citing ballistic tests, police said the bullets in the bodies of the victims were fired from Rony’s gun.
The MP’s son, however, pleaded not guilty during the indictment hearing on Oct 30, 2017.