Jugantor editor, publisher among 3 acquitted in defamation case
A Dhaka court today acquitted three people, including the editor and the publisher of the Daily Jugantor, in a defamation case filed against them by former shipping minister Shahjahan Khan in September 2011.
They are Jugantor Publisher Salma Islam, Editor Saiful Alam and reporter Jashim Chowdhury Shabuj.
Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rezaul Karim Chowdhury handed down the verdict in the presence of the accused at the courtroom.
In the judgment, the magistrate said the prosecution had failed to prove the charges brought against them and they were acquitted from the charges.
Shahjahan Khan was not present in the court during the delivery of the judgment in the case.
Soon after the acquittal order, Salma Islam, a member of parliament and a former state minister, told journalists that the daily ran a series of authentic news but the minister filed the case just to harass them.
Earlier, the prosecution and defence completed their arguments and the court recorded statements of four prosecution witnesses, including the complainant of the case.
On February 1, 2012, another Dhaka court framed charges against them in the case.
On September 13 of 2011, Shahjahan Khan filed the case against them for running defamatory news items on different dates.
In the case statement, Shahjahan Khan mentioned two reports the daily ran on August 24 and 25 of 2011 with headlines reading "Wastage of crores of money by shipping minister in name of experience" and "14 trips abroad".
Terming the news reports as false and fabricated, Shahjahan Khan said the items were published to damage his reputation, name and fame in the political arena, the minister added.
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