Dhaka: The High Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence of three muggers over the killing of television journalist Shafiqul Islam Mithu in 2010.

An HC bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singh and Justice Mustafa Zaman pronounced the verdict after hearing petitions filed by the convicts against the death sentence and the death reference, reports the UNB.

The convicts are Sujan, son of Piar Miah of Bukkati village in Gosairhat upazila of Shariatpur, Saju, son of Kochi Miah of Savar, and Ratan, son of Jahangir Miah of Madhupur upazila in Tangail.

According to the prosecution, Shafiqul Islam Mithu, a senior cameraperson of private TV channel ATN Bangla, was waiting for vehicle at night in Farmgate area on May 8, 2010 when a gang of muggers in a private car picked him promising to drop him on the Airport Road.

However, they looted the belongings of the journalist and strangulated him to death once they came to know about his identity.

The body was recovered from Rustampur under Turag Police Station on the outskirts of the capital.

Victim’s brother Rahmatul Islam filed a case with Turag Police Station in this regard.

On February 26, 2013, Judge Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman of Additional Dhaka Metropolitan Session’s Judges Court- 3 awarded death plenty to the trio.

The court also fined each of them Tk 20,000.

Meanwhile, another accused in the case—Rahat Khan—was killed in a gunfight with police during the trial proceedings.