SC allows ACC to challenge acquittal of Janakantha editor

The Supreme Court yesterday allowed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to appeal against the High Court's acquittal of the daily Janakantha editor, Atiqullah Khan Masud, from a corruption case over forgery of documents of a building design.

A special court jailed Atiqullah for seven years in March 2008 in the case but the HC acquitted him in October 2012.

The case statement said Atiqullah had submitted a design for a 15-storey commercial building, constructed in the capital's Segunbagicha, to the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), which was not approved by Rajuk's designated officials.

Rather the design was approved by two other Rajuk officials and forged documents were submitted, and this way Atiqullah saved Tk 8.7 crore, added the ACC complaint.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha yesterday gave the permission after hearing ACC's leave to appeal petition.

ACC lawyer Syed Mamun Mahbub told the SC that the HC judgment of acquittal was not correct since the allegations against Atiqullah had been proved beyond reasonable doubt.