Three sentenced to death in Payel murder case

Three people have been sentenced to death in North South University student Saidur Rahman Payel murder case.

Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 Judge Abu Zafar Mohammad Kamruzzaman handed down the verdict on Sunday noon.

The convicts are Jonny, superviser of a Hanif Paribahan bus, Jamal Hossain, driver, and Foysal Hossain, helper.

Payel, a fifth semester NSU student and son of Golam Mawla of Halishahar in Chattogram, was found dead in a canal at Bhaterchar in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj on July 23, 2018. A case was filed against three people, including the driver, helper and supervisor of ‘Hanif Paribahan’ bus, at Gazaria Police Station the next day.

On March 25, 2018, Jonny gave a detailed account of the murder. He told the court that the Dhaka-bound bus from Chattogram was stuck in a tailback at Bahterchar on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in the early hours of July 22.

At that time, Payel got down from the bus to respond to the call of nature. As the bus started moving when the traffic jam eased, Payel started running to catch the bus.

The driver eventually stopped the bus but Payel’s head was smashed after it got stuck in the gate and he fell onto the road. He was unconscious and was bleeding profusely from his mouth and nose.

Later, the supervisor informed the bus driver of the situation. After a short discussion, the trio threw Payel into the canal from a nearby bridge around 4:30am while he was still breathing.

Other passengers of the bus could not understand anything as they were asleep.

The autopsy report said Payel drowned after being thrown into the canal.