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The next day, Jonny fell ill and was taken to a local clinic before being transferred to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Rocky filed a murder case with the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka on August 8, 2014.

On September 9, 2020, the court sentenced Zahidur, Qamruzzaman, and Rashidul to life imprisonment, and informers Sumon and Russell to seven years in jail.

Qamruzzaman remains on the run, while Russell, who was absconding during the trial court verdict, later surrendered.

The convicts then filed separate appeals with the HC.

On August 11 this year, the HC bench of Justice SM Kuddus Zaman and Justice AKM Rabiul Hassan upheld the life imprisonment of Zahidur. As Qamruzzaman did not appeal, his sentence remains in force.

The HC commuted Rashidul’s life sentence to 10 years in prison, acquitted Russell, and noted that Sumon had already served his seven-year term.

The full text of the HC verdict has not yet been released, said Rocky and defence lawyer Razu.