Regent Group Chairman Shahed acquitted in arms case
However, although acquitted in this case, Sahed will not be released from jail as he has not been granted bail in several other cases
The High Court today (11 January) acquitted Regent Group and Regent Hospital Limited Chairman Shaheed Karim alias Mohammad Shahed in an arms case.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the judicial court in the case.
The HC bench of Justice Ashish Ranjan Das and Justice Md Riaz Uddin passed the acquittal order.
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Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi represented the state in the court on the day while senior lawyer SM Shahjahan and advocate Shah Monjurul Haqu represented the defendant.
However, although acquitted in this case, Sahed will not be released from jail as he has not been granted bail in several other cases, according to lawyers.
Speaking about the arms case, lawyer Shah Manjurul Haque said, "It was not a real weapon [for which he was sentenced]. The state could not prove this. The court granted his appeal and acquitted him.
However, the prosecution said they will appeal against the acquittal order to the Appellate Division.
On 15 July 2020, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained Shahed from the border area of Satkhira on various charges of fraud during the coronavirus pandemic. Later, he was brought to Dhaka by helicopter.
On 18 July of the same year, the Detective Branch (DB) of police went to Uttara on a drive taking Shahed with them and seized a loaded pistol and illegal drugs from a car that was used by Shahed. SM Gaffarul Alam, inspector at the DB, then filed a case against Shahed at Uttara West police station under the Arms Act.
On 16 September 2020, pleading innocence in the arms case, Shahed sought justice from court.
On 18 September, Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu and Additional Public Prosecutor Tapash Kumar Pal demanded the maximum sentence, life imprisonment, for Shahed in the case.
