2 July 2012: Chowdhury 5th witness cross exam 3

Tribunal one
In the afternoon, after the Sayedee witness cross-examination, the cross examination of the Praphulla Ranjan Sinha, the fifth witness who gave evidence against Salauddin Quader Chowdhury continued, undertaken by the defence lawyer Ahsanul Haque Hena. Continued from 26 June

Defence: You don’t have any idea about your father’s death

Witness: I do have knowledge but I did not see.

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer that “After that loot, arson, torture , killing has been started in Rawjaan”

Witness: Yes, I have.

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer about what happened in Rajarbag Police Line on 25 March, 1971

Witness: So far I remember I have.

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer that there was resistance committee formed under the leadership of Dr. A.R Mallik and Dr. Anisujjaman in Chittagong University

Witness: Yes, I have spoken about it.

Defence: The teachers of Chittagong University (M.R Siddque, Zahurul Amen chowdhury, Ataur Rahman, Abdullah-al-Harun) did not come to seek for shelter to your father

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer that what was the reason of their seeking shelter.

Witness: Yes, I have.

Defence: Your grandfather Chitto Ranjan Sinha and the Chief minister Sachin Sinha studied together.

Witness: It is not true

Defence: Your brother was a friend of Sachin Sinha and after knowing that M.R Siddiq, Zahurul Ameen Chowdhury, Ataur Rahman, Abdullah-al-harun came to Agartola, you did not tell the Investigation Officer

Witness: Yes, I have.

Defence: They went to Agartola through Ramgar border and you did not tell the Investigation Officer about it.

Witness: Yes, I have.

Defence: Where was your brother Gourango’s border pass?

Witness: I don’t know about it. I did not give any border pass to him.

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer that when your house was not safe anymore, you sent the teachers of Chittagong University to Agartola through Sabroom.

Witness: Yes, I have.

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer that when Noman came and told you to leave because your house was not safe

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: You did not tell it to the investigation officer that we left the place by two Jeeps

Witness: I have said it.

Defence: You used to issue border pass in Sabroom.

Witness: Yes.

Defence: How much time it takes to go to Ramgar border from Kundeswary?

Witness: In that time it took almost 7/8 hours.

Defence: You did not tell it to the Investigation Officer that refugees who were coming asked you whether you have known the news of your house or not and headmaster of Ramghar High school told you the news of your house.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: ‘You heard about your father’s death from Ex- Chairman Amanat Kha’, you did not tell anything to the Investigation Officer about this.

Witness: I have said it.

Defence: How long you were in Subroom before going to Kolkata?

Witness: Including Agartola and Subroom total 3 months.

Defence: Before that you did not tell anything to the Investigation Officer about your brother Gourango.

Witness: I cannot remember right now.

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer that Sallah Uddin Quder Chiwdhury was a major.

Witness: Yes, I have said.

Defence: You did not tell it to the Investigation Officer that when the Pakistani Army came Gourango Sinha, Brojopoti, Monoronjon singha, Gopal Das, Brajapati Karmakaar were insisting your father to leave the house, then 3 of them took shelter in Jungle and 2 of them were in first floor of that house.

Witness: I have said.

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer about Gourango Sinha and Himangshu Boiddo.

Witness: Yes, I have said.

Defence: You did not tell it to the Investigation Officer that Brajapati said we were seeing from the window of the first floor that Pakistan army along with Sallah Udddin quder Chowdhury came and wanted money and gold from your father then they went away after that within 15 or 20 minutes they came back.

Defence: ‘The Pakistani Army told your father to stand in front of the temple and then shoot him’ you did not tell the Investigation Officer about it.

Witness: Yes, I have said.

Defence: ‘Your father was suffering from pain and then Salauddin Quader Chowdhury shot your father again with his pistol’ and you did not tell the Investigation Officer about it and it s not true also.

Witness: Yes, I have said it and it is true.

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer that the Chairman Amanat Kha took the help of some people from the neighboring village to bury your father’s dead body.

Witness: Yes, I have said.

Defence: On which post in ATN Bangla Gourango’s son is working?

Witness: Most probably Senior Vice President in the Sales Department.

Defence: Moniruzzaman was the editor and you were the sub-editor of the book you mentioned.

Witness: Yes.

Defence: And there were other writers’ writings in that book?

Witness: Yes.

Zead-Al-Malum: Why you asking question from this book since the book has not been exhibited before the Tribunal.

Justice Nizam: Mr. hena, If the book was exhibited then you would have been allowed to ask question. In that case omission and contradiction is only possible from his prior statement and his writings not from any others writings and statement. In that case this part has been written by Maniruzzaman, So there is needed either presence of Moniruzzaman or you can ask question to the Investigation Officer. The document which has been seized; in fact this portion is not written by him.

Defence: My lord, Investigation Officer has seized the documents and it has been produced by the prosecution before the Tribunal. (Then he read out rules 44)

Zead-al-malum: My lord according to Rules 51 (1) materials has not been exhibited yet.

Justice Nizam: According to Rule 44 we can admit the book but he is not the only writer of the book. He is not the proper person to ask this question.

Defence: The tribunal has the authority to consider.

Justice Nizam: We will ask the Investigation Officer So please wait up to examination of the investigation officer

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer that it was not written in your writing that Salauddin Quader Chowdhury is the killer of your father

Witness: I did not have the courage that time to write it.

Defence: You did not tell the Investigation Officer that you did not have a favourable environment that time to write it down.

Witness: It is not true, I have said.

Defence: In 2000, the Awami League Govt. was in power?

Witness: Yes.

Defence: You wrote that there were bullets in the walls of your houses, school, factory and temple

Witness: There was a mark of shells in the school wall.

Defence: Salauddin Quader Chowdhury while being the Minister never tortured you and your family.

Witness: It is true.

Defence: In 1970, your meeting with Dr. Anisuzzaman at Ramghar is not true.

Witness: It is true.

Defence: In spite of knowing about the result of your father’s murder case (41.1.72) in Raojan Thana, you have hidden the fact.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: Atthe time of that occurrence your father and two other farmers were there and no one else.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: Before your father’s death Gourango, Brojopoti, Gopal and everyone of your family went to India

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: The headmaster of Raojan School, Jatishdhor did not tell anything about your father’s death and he was not in India

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: You did not tell anything to the Investigation Officer about Gourango, Himangshu and Gopal

Witness: Yes, I have said.

Defence: It is not true that Didarul Alam and Amanat Kha did tell you about your father’s death

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: They were leaders of Muslim Convention League.

Witness: Yes.

Defence: Accused Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s going to Kundeswary on 13 April is totally utopian and not true at all.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: That he killed your father from his pistol is not true.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: You gave false statement because of your political rivalry.

Witness: Not true.

Defence: You made up this false case with the influence of a group of conspirators to stop the accused going to the Parliament.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: It is not true that these said witnesses had seen the accused in the said time and said place.

Witness: It is not true.

Defence: It is not true that at the said time, place and type of murder happened.

Witness: It is not true.

Thus the Cross-examination of Prafulla Ranjan Sinha has been completed.