A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced three persons to life in the Sujan alias Michel murder case but the acquitted alleged mastermind, Ward Commissioner Saidur Rahman Shahid, and three others.

The convicts are Sharif, Kutubuddin and Mohan. Sharif is in custody and the other two have been absconding since the murder. The court also fined them Tk 50,000 each and ordered another year behind bars in case of nonpayment.

Security was beefed up in and around the court yesterday anticipating violence. A section of Dhalkanagar residents brought out a procession and chanted slogans demanding death penalty to Shahid.

Judge Sheikh Jahangir Hussain of the Speedy Trial Tribunal read out the highlights of the 23-page judgement in 10 minutes.

Punishment to the fugitives will be effective from the date of their arrest or surrender to the court, the judgement said.

The court acquitted Shahid, Jewel (Sohel), Kachi and Bashir as charges against them could not be proved beyond doubt.

"During the trial, six prosecution witnesses alleged that Shahid was the mastermind, which could not be corroborated. So, convicting him would be a miscarriage of justice," the court said.

Both the prosecution and defence completed their arguments on December 3 and the court recorded statements of six prosecution witnesses.

The case alleged that Sujan, a leader of BNP's youth wing Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, was shot dead by assailants at KB Road in Sutrapur on May 4, 1999 when he and his brother Pintu were returning home by a rickshaw from Nawabpur.

A murder case was filed with Sutrapur Police Station, accusing Sharif and six others, the following day.

The investigation officer submitted a final report on March 8, 2000 stating the allegations against the accused could not be proved.

Four days later, complainant Pintu filed a naraji petition (no confidence) with the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM), Dhaka. After hearing, the court rejected the petition.

Pintu filed a criminal revision with the Court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Dhaka on April 16, 2000. After hearing, the court ordered a judicial inquiry into the killing.

Following the order, the CMM's court recorded statements of seven witnesses and took the case into cognisance.

The court also sent the case to the sessions judge's court for trial that framed charges against Shahid and others on January 16, 2001.