Rangpur Reporter: The court sentenced the accused, Titu Roy, to 10 to 10 years imprisonment in Rangpur for giving insulting status in the name of Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through social media. At the same time, another five months imprisonment has been ordered in default of payment of a fine of 50 thousand tk..
On Tuesday (May 23) at noon, the judge of the Rangpur Cyber Tribunal Court Abdul Majeed gave this verdict. The accused, Titu Roy, was present in court when the verdict was announced.
Hindu houses were attacked, vandalized, set on fire, and looted in Rangpur’s Shaleyshah Thankurpara area when communal incitement was spread on Facebook against the accused, Titu Roy.
It is known that Titu Roy, the son of deceased Khagendranath Roy of Harkali Thankurpara under Gangachra Police Station of Rangpur District, located in Fatulla of Narayanganj, opened a fake ID on Facebook under the name of MD Titu on October 28, 2017 and posted a derogatory status about the Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). Extreme tension is created around that status. On Friday, November 10 of that year, after Friday prayers, the local crowd held a human chain and protest rally in Shaleyshah Bazar, demanding the peace of Titu Roy. Later, thousands of people set Titu Roy’s house on fire and set fire to Hindupalli’s house in Thankurpara. In this incident, two cases were registered at Rangpur Sadar and Gangachara police stations.
Expressing satisfaction with the verdict in this case, the government counsel advocate, Ruhul Amin Talukder, said, “Insulting religion is not appropriate in any way.” It is against the law, which hurts religious sentiments. The learned judge sentenced the accused, Tut Roy, to 10 years imprisonment under Section 57(2) for making and circulating religiously insulting pictures.
The defendant’s lawyer, Advocate Prashant Kumar Roy, objected to this judgment and said that judgments are given on the basis of forensic reports in cyber tribunals. Accordingly, from the forensic report, there was no evidence of such controversial posts on Titu Roy’s mobile device. We think it is not possible for an illiterate boy to open a fake ID and promote such a post. The judge ruled. We will appeal this judgment to the High Court.
On November 6, 2017, Titu Roy, the son of deceased Khagen Roy of Rangpur’s Thakurpara, was filed a case under the Information Technology Act by Raju Mia, a grocer of Shaleyshah village in Khaleya Union of Rangpur Sadar Upazila, under the Information Technology Act, on the charge of posting insulting and insulting pictures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) on Facebook. Then, on November 6, the local crowd issued a memorandum to the administration demanding Titu Roy’s arrest. On Friday, November 10, 1917, after Friday prayers, the locals organized a human chain and protest rally in Shaleyshah Bazar, demanding the execution of Titu Roy. Later, thousands of people attacked some houses of the Hindu community in Thakurpara village and vandalized, set fire to, and looted them. A young man was killed in a police clash with local worshipers and villagers. 15 people, including the police, were injured in this incident. Two cases were registered in Sadar and Gangachra police stations. The then-investigating officer, SI Maqbul Hossain, filed a charge sheet in court against 225 people in the case of Gangachara police station.
