SC commutes death sentence of man who killed his wife

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday commuted the sentence of a death-row convict to life in jail for killing his wife in Nilphamari in 2006.

The six-member virtual bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order following an appeal petition filed by the convict.

The court also fined the convict, Swapan Kumar of Kushtia, Tk5,000 and asked the authorities concerned to shift him to a normal cell from the condemned one.

Additional Attorney General Sheikh Mohammad Morshed stood for state while advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain argued for the petitioner.

According to the prosecution, Swapan killed his first wife Swapna Ghosh, 35, hitting her head over a family feud in Saidpur upazila of Nilphamari on October 16, 2006. Police filed the case on October 28 against Swapan and arrested him.

On November 18, 2008, Nilphamari District and Sessions Judge sentenced Swapan to death for the murder.

On April 9, 2014, the High Court upheld the lower court verdict. Later, Swapan filed a petition to the Appellate Division challenging the order.