Banani rape victims give depositions

Staff Correspondent: Two private university girls who were raped allegedly by two youths in an upscale hotel in the capital's Banani area around one a half month ago gave their judicial statements before a court in Dhaka on Thursday in a case filed over the incident.

Metropolitan Magistrate Nurun Nahar Yasmin recorded statements of the victims under section of 22 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.

Earlier, Ismat Ara Amy, sub-inspector (SI) of the Women Support and Investigation Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the investigation officer of the case, produced the two girls before the court.

While giving judicial statements, the victims described how they were raped in the hotel at Banani.

Meanwhile, another court granted police to conduct laboratory test on the dress of one of the victims wearing at the time of rape.

Metropolitan Magistrate Delwar Hossain gave the permission following a petition filed by Inspector (Investigation) of Banani Police Station Abdul Matin on Wednesday.

One of the rape victims filed a case with Banani Police Station on May 6 accusing five people.

Of the accused, Shafat Ahmed, 26, and Nayeem Ashraf, 30, were sued for raping the two female university students while Shadman Shakif, 24, Shafat's driver Billal, 26, and his unnamed bodyguard for abetting in the crime.

According to the case statement, the plaintiff along with her friend went to a residential hotel at Banani to attend the birthday party of Shafat around 9:00pm on March 28.

The two prime accused -- Shafat and Nayeem -- confined them to two rooms of the hotel at gunpoint after the rooftop birthday party was over at midnight. The two girls were made to drink liquor before being raped. Shafat raped the plaintiff while Nayem her friend.

Shafat's driver Billal filmed the incident, she said in the FIR adding that they got introduced with Shafat and Nayeem through Shadman Shakif.

risingbd/DHAKA/May 11, 2017/Mamun Khan/Amirul