The Criminal Court has sentenced the Bangladeshi national Sumon over the murder of a woman found dead on a road of the capital city Male'. The woman named Hawwa Zuha was murdered about two years back and she was found dead on a small path around her neighbourhood.
Sumon was charged with intentional murder by strangling Hawwa Zuha. During the investigation, the accused had confessed to the murder of the victim. However, later Sumon denied killing Zuha and changed his statement saying that he did not kill Zuha but held her neck when she tried to snatch his money.
The Criminal Court’s hearing held on Sunday stated that it is not legally permissible to change Sumon's statement given the fact that the Supreme Court had concluded that it is a matter of someone right being infringed and in such cases, it is not allowed to take back the words after confession.
The hearing further states that according to Zuha’s death certificate, she died choking due to strangulation. Therefore, it was an intentional murder, and during the trial, it has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Sumon killed Zuha.
While Sumon is found guilty of murdering Zuha, her mother stated that she does not wish the death penalty for Sumon. Hence, the court took into account Zuha’s mother’s wordings when deciding its verdict.
The court has stated that for Sumon’s crime the punishment listed in the Penal Code is to imprison for ten years, however, due to the way he committed the crime, it had to be increased, resulting 15 years imprisonment.
The judge, Ibrahim Ali who was presiding the case ordered to imprison Sumon for 15 years, pay MVR 100,000 as blood money within one month and being a Muslim, as an expiation fast for two lunar months consecutively.
The murderer Sumon
