Foreign national found guilty of brutal murder of another expatriate in Guraidhoo!
The presiding judge has ruled that the charges against him have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt; the court will now proceed to record the statements of the legal heirs and hear arguments regarding sentencing before a final penalty is determined.
The defendant in a murder case, Babul Mia, a Bangladeshi national. | RaajjeMV | Raajje MV
The Criminal Court on Sunday held a hearing regarding the fatal stabbing of an expatriate in Th. Guraidhoo.
This hearing was held to deliver the verdict in the case.
The defendant in this case has been identified as Babul Mia, a Bangladeshi national. He has been charged with intentional homicide using a sharp object. The prescribed penalty for this offense is the death sentence.
According to the charges filed against him, he attacked Shah Alam, a Bangladeshi national, with a machete, inflicting injuries to his neck, chest, spine, and back. The incident occurred during the early hours of May 21, 2020.
Although he admitted to the act, he maintains that he acted in self-defense. He has provided detailed accounts of these circumstances during the police investigation.
Based on the information he provided, police have recovered the knife used in the attack. Forensic analysis of the weapon revealed DNA matches for both Babul Mia and Shah Alom.
Both the prosecution and the defense have submitted evidence in this case. Accordingly, Babul Mia presented five witnesses in his defense.
Judge Muzammil Nasir is presiding over the case at the Criminal Court. During the proceedings, the judge detailed the fulfillment of the legal elements of the offense. In his explanation, the judge analyzed whether the specific criteria regarding the actus reus (guilty act) and mens rea (guilty mind) had been met in this case.
Babul Mia denies the allegation that he intentionally murdered Shah Alom. However, the presiding judge ruled that his intent was proven, citing circumstantial evidence such as the lethal nature of the weapon used, the specific area of the body targeted in the attack, and his conduct following the incident.
The judge stated that the evidence in this case clearly demonstrates that he repeatedly attacked Shah Alom with a machete.
Shah Alom's final words were spoken to a fellow expatriate living at the same residence. He reportedly told him, "Someone came into my room and stabbed me in the abdomen." He further stated that while he was asleep, an individual had entered and "slashed" him.
According to the Scene of Crime Officers' report, the bed where he was sleeping also bore visible knife marks.
Furthermore, although he presented evidence claiming the attack was carried out in self-defense, none of the defense witnesses he cited were among the expatriates present at the scene when the incident occurred.
Furthermore, the judge noted that even after such a grave incident, the defendant's initial reaction was to provide false information. Consequently, he first became a suspect in this death only after his deception began to unravel.
Consequently, the judge ruled that the charges against him had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The next steps in the proceedings will involve recording the statements of the legal heirs and holding a hearing to discuss and determine the final sentence.
