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SC commutes death penalty of 'teen' rapist

Staff Correspondent
In a rare instance, the Supreme Court yesterday commuted a "teenage boy's" death sentence to jail until death for murdering a child after rape in 1999.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, passed the order after hearing the review petition filed by convict Sukur Ali and rights organisation Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trusts (BLAST).
Sukur was 14 when he committed the crime 16 years ago in Manikganj. He was handed down death penalty in 2001.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Sukut's mother Banu Begum, 55, said she was happy with the apex court's order.
“I've seen the news on television. I would be happier if he gets freed from jailaftera fewyears.... I'm not sure if he had committed the offence or not," she added.
She met her son, now 30, at Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur on July 19, the day after the Eid-ul-Fitr, and found him well.
Petitioners' lawyer Nazneen Nahar Dipu told this correspondent that to her knowledge this was the first time the Appellate Division commuted a convict's sentence following a review petition.
"We will move a petition on behalfof Sukur Ali forpresidentialmercy,"shesaid.
Nazneen said there was no punishment except death sentence under the Women and Children Repression Prevention (Special) Act when the lower court had sentenced him to death.
Following a recent SC judgment, there are other sentences, including life imprisonment, in the law. Accordingly, the petitioners prayed to the apex court to commute the death penalty of Sukur, she added.
On July 12, 2001, the Women and Children Repression Prevention Special Tribunal sentenced Sukur to death forviolating and killing a sevenyear-old child.
The HC on February 25, 2004, upheld the trial court's verdict. A year later, the Appellate Division also upheld the HC verdict.
Sukur and BLAST filed two appeals with the apex court, seeking cancellation of his death sentence and detention. The SC on May 5 th is year rejected the appeals and upheld his death penalty.
Sukur and BLAST recently filed the review petition with the SC against its May5 judgement.
MK Rahman and Sara Hossain, among other lawyers, appeared for the petitioners.