The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today upheld a High Court order that stayed the proceedings of a case against the editor of the Daily Prothom Alo Motiur Rahman over the death of Dhaka Residential Model College student Naimul Abrar Rahat for six months.
Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed "no order" on a petition filed by the state, seeking a stay on the HC's stay order on Wednesday.
Assistant Attorney General Md Saiful Islam appeared for the state while Prothom Alo's lawyer Mostafizur Rahman Khan stood in favour of the accused during the hearing.
Earlier on December 13, the High Court stayed the proceedings of the case against Motiur Rahman over the death of Naimul Abrar Rahat for six months.
The virtual HC bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Md Atoar Rahman passed the order.
The bench also issued a rule asking the government why the trial proceedings should not be scrapped.
Earlier on November 12, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayesh framed charges against 9 people including Motiur Rahman over the death of Naimul Abrar Rahat.
The court also acquitted 'Kishor Alo' Editor Anisul Hoque from this case.
On October 27, the same Dhaka court set November 12 to hold a hearing on charge framing in the case lodged against 10 people including Motiur Rahman over the death of Naimul Abrar Rahat.
Earlier on October 13, the court set October 27 for indictment hearing on the matter. But Judge KM Imrul Kayesh adjourned the hearing till November 12 as the order had not yet been ready to be passed.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jasim on September 20 transferred the case to this court as it was ready to hold a trial.
The other nine accused are - Editor of Kishor Alo, a publication of the Prothom Alo, Anisul Hoque, Prothom Alo senior sub-editor Mohitul Alam, head of events and activation Kabir Bakul, executives Shah Paran Tushar and Shuvashish Pramanik and Jasim Uddin, Mosharraf Hossain, Sujon and Kamrul Hawlader, who were in charge of providing electricity supply for the function.
The court on September 3 granted bail to Anisul Hoque, Mohitul Alam, Kabir Bakul, Shah Paran Tushar and Shuvashish Pramanik in the case. It came up with the order as the accused surrendered before the court and pleaded for bail in the case.
The court had come up with that order a day after it directed the authorities concerned to attach the properties of those five accused.
Ninth-grader Naimul Abrar Rahat died after being electrocuted behind the stage at an event organised by the Kishor Alo, a publication of the Prothom Alo, at Dhaka Residential Model College ground on November 1, 2019.
On November 6, 2019, Naimul’s father Mojibur Rahman filed the case with the court in this connection.
nh/teb
