The High Court has upheld the life sentences for five convicts and acquitted four others in the murder of journalist Gautam Das in Faridpur over 13 years ago.
The HC bench of justices AKM Abdul Hakim and Fatema Najib handed the verdict on Wednesday (Jan 30).
Gautam, who was the daily Samakal’s Faridpur bureau chief, was strangled to death in his office on Nov 17, 2005, for reporting on alleged irregularities and corruption in a road construction work in the city, according to the case statement.
Eight years after the incident, a Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced nine people to life imprisonment in the case on Jun 27, 2013.
They were also slapped with Tk 50,000 fine. Failure to pay the fines will add another year to their jail terms.
One of the accused died during the trial proceedings.
Later, the convicts moved to the HC.
On Wednesday, the HC upheld the life term to four convicts. They are – Asif Imran, Siddiqur Rahman Mia, Asad Bin Qadir, Abu Taher Moturja alias Apollo and Tamzid Hossain Babu.
The HC, however, exonerated four others – Asif Imtiaz Bulu, Kamrul Islam Apon, Rajib Hasan Mia and Kazi Murad.