Shomi Kaiser and Kaushik Taposh remanded in attempted murder case

Actress Shomi Kaiser and Gaan Bangla TV Chairman Kaushik Hossain Taposh were each placed on three-day remands in a case filed for an attempt to kill trader Ishtiaque Mahmud in front of Azampur Habibullah High School during the quota reform movement on July 18.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Saifuzzaman passed the order after Investigation Officer Mritunjoy Pandit Mithun, a sub-inspector of Uttara East Police Station, produced the two at court separately with prayers to remand them for seven days.

In the prayer, SI Mritunjoy said Shomi Kaiser was directly involved with the incident. Moreover, she financed directly and indirectly to foil the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement. So she needs to be remanded to find out the sources of money and identify the bank accounts from where she financed.

The defence for Shomi Kaiser submitted an application, seeking bail along with cancellation of the remand prayer on grounds that she was implicated in the case as part of a conspiracy to harass her.

Upon hearing both the sides, the magistrate turned down the defence pleas and allowed police to take her into custody for questioning about the incident.

Claiming herself innocent, Shomi told the court, "I was at Banani during the time of occurrence. I didn't make any comment about late President Ziaur Rahman. I also demanded fair investigation into the inactive internet service. So the charges brought against me are false and fabricated."

SI Mritunjoy, in the remand prayer, said that Taposh, also a singer and composer, was aware of the violence and the attempt to kill trader Ishtiaque. So, he needs to be remanded to find out the vital clues about the incident.

Taposh's lawyer however filed an application on grounds that his client was falsely implicated in the case.

The accused claimed himself innocent and told the court that he supported the quota reform movement. Then, the magistrate asked him why he fled. He replied he did not go into hiding. He was at his office. Detectives arrested him from his office, so he sought bail and cancellation of the remand prayer.

Shomi Kaiser was arrested in the capital's Uttara area early today. She was arrested around 12:30am during a drive.

The actress is the daughter of Bangladeshi novelist, writer and martyred intellectual Shahidullah Kaiser, and writer and former parliamentarian Panna Kaiser.

On the other hand, police arrested Taposh from the capital's Uttara on November 4 and later submitted an application to show him arrested in the case.

According to the case statement, Ishtiaque took part in the quota reform movement on July 18 in front of Azampur Habibullah High School where he was shot. Later he took treatment at Evercare Hospital.

On September 29, he filed a case against 126 people, including former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, with Uttara East Police Station.