Shomi Kaiser acquitted in defamation case

A Dhaka court acquitted actress Shomi Kaiser in connection with a defamation case filed for reportedly tarnishing the image of journalists for branding them 'thieves' during a programme at the Jatiya Press Club on April 24, 2019.

The information has been disclosed today (Sunday) to the media from court sources.

Earlier on February 3, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted the final report before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Sikder. Later on March 4, the same court passed the acquittal order after accepting the final report submitted by PBI.

Editor of online news portal studentjournalbd.com Mia Md Nuzhatul Hasan filed the case on April 30, 2019, against Shomi Kaiser.

As per the case statement, Shomi termed journalists 'thieves' and her security guards also used abusive words against them during a programme at Zahur Hossian Chowdhury auditorium of the press club on April 24 of 2019 after she claimed that two of her cell phones went missing.

They also kept all the journalists captive for around 30 minutes to search them after locking the main entrance of the auditorium.

The plaintiff said the video footage of the event went viral on social media which humiliated and defamed the journalist community.

Later, it was proved from the video footage recorded by journalists that the phones were stolen by a worker of the catering company.

nh/wi