The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday acquitted a man who was sentenced to death in a case over killing an eight-year-old girl in Laksham area of Cumilla district in 2006.

A four-member virtual bench of the Appellate Division, led by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order after accepting the appeal of the convict, reports UNB.

The convict who got acquittal is Humayun Kabir, a truck driver by profession and he was sent to jail in the case in 2004.

Advocate ABM Bayezid stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Biswajit Debnath represented the state.

According to the prosecution, a girl, a student of class I, went missing on June 30, 2004. A case was filed under the Women and Children Repression prevention Act against Humayun Kabir.

Later, she was found dead on July 4 at Kanaksri village of Laksham upazila. Then the case was transformed into a murder case.

On September 29, 2004, police submitted chargesheet against Humayun.

On April 5, 2006, Chattogram Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge AHM Mostaque Ahmed sentenced Humayun to death.

On April 15, 2012, the High Court upheld the lower court order after hearing the death reference and appeal petition.

The Supreme Court on April 17, 2014, accepted the appeal petition of the convict.