High Court commutes sentence of Police officer in homosexuality case

The High Court has decided to commute the sentence of the senior police officer from the Drug Enforcement Department (DED), who was found guilty of engaging in homosexual relations with Bangladeshi national Alamgir.

The Criminal Court sentenced Abdul Rahman Rafiu, Javaahiruvaadhee, M. Raiymandhoo to one-year, two months and 12 days in prison.

After his verdict, he had appealed for commutation. 

In the ruling made by the High Court regarding lowering the sentencing, sentence was made two levels higher, as he was a police officer at the time of committing the crime. It also noted that the sentence will be lowered by one month. 

Alamgir, 26, was arrested on July 12, after videos leaked online purportedly showed him engaging in sexual relations with multiple men. He was charged with engaging in homosexuality with three Maldivian men back in August. After pleading guilty during trial, he received a seven month prison sentence, which he is currently serving. Additional 40 charges were pressed against him recently.

Other men shown on the leaked videos, engaging in sexual relations Alamgir, have also been arrested, and are being subsequently investigated. Some seen on the videos have been given ‘lighter’ sentences as well.

In this regard, Ahmed Nazim Abdul Sattar, a prominent lawyer and younger brother of Parliament speaker, former president Mohamed Nasheed, who was charged for engaging in homosexual relations with Alamgir pled guilty following which he was sentenced to three months in home confinement last week.