ICT case: Deepto TV MD granted bail, 3 officials sent to jail

Chattogram Cyber Tribunal today (July 18, 2022) sent three officials of Deepto TV to jail in three cases – filed under ICT Act section 57 in 2016 – for allegedly "running fake news and defaming" the former minister for expatriates' welfare and overseas employment Nurul Islam BSc and his son Mujibur Rahman.

Mujibur is also the Managing Director (MD) of Sanowara Group. The court ordered to send Kazi Farms Group and Deepto TV's Managing Director (MD) Kazi Zahedul Hasan to jail along with the trio but later granted him bail in the cases on the ground of his health condition, said Advocate Mezbah Uddin, public prosecutor (PP) of the tribunal.

Chattogram Cyber Tribunal Judge Md Jahirul Kabir passed the order after the accused appeared before the court in the three cases and sought bail, said Advocate Mezbah Uddin.

The three others are: Kazi Farms and Deepto TV's directors Kazi Zahin Hasan, Kazi Rabet Hasan, and Urfi Ahmed, chief operating officer.

Plaintiff's lawyer Advocate Iftekhar Saimul Chowdhury said this morning, the four accused appeared before the court seeking bail in three cases but the court sent them to jail after rejecting their bail plea.

This afternoon, the same court granted bail to Kazi Zahedul Hasan on the health ground.

Three cases were lodged—two in Chawakbazar and one in Chandgaon – accusing the four officials and three journalists of Deepto TV for "defaming the minister and his son" through circulating "fake news", according to the case statement.

Sheikh Ahmad, manger (Land) of Sanowara Group, Jahangir Alam, manager of Sanowara Poultry and Hatchery, flied the cases in 2016 according to the case statement.