Regent's Shahed Karim Jailed for Life in Arms Case

A court in Dhaka sentenced chairman of the Regent Group, Shahed Karim, to life imprisonment in the arms case.

The Metropolitan Session Judge KM Imrul Kayes passed the order today.

"We are not happy with the decision and we shall appeal to the High Court," said Shahid's lawyer in his response to the order.

Shahed has been sentenced to life imprisonment under one section of Article 19 and sentenced to seven years in prison in another section of the same law.  

32 more cases are under trial against Shahed, his lawyer added.

Expressing satisfaction over the verdict, state lawyer Advocate Abdullah Abu said, "This is an exemplary verdict against the persons like Shahed, who cheats people and society in guise of being man of honour."

On 15 July, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained the Chairman of Regent Hospital Md Shahed alias Shahed Karim from the Satkhira border area on various charges of fraud during the coronavirus pandemic. Then, he was carried by helicopter to Dhaka.

The court put Shahed on a 10-day remand the following day in a case filed on charges of multiple cases of fraud, including faking Covid-19 test results.

After that, on July 18, the Police Detective Branch (DB) went to Uttara on a drive taking Shahed with them and seized a loaded pistol and illicit drugs from a car used by Shahed. rSM Gaffarul Alam, a DB inspector, then filed a case against Shahed at the Uttara West Police Station under the Arms Act.

On 30 July, Inspector Md Shairul of the DB filed an indictment against Shahed in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan.

On 27 August, Shahed was indicted by Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayes.

The testimony in the case finished on 15 September. The court heard the testimony of 11 of the 14 witnesses in the case over four working days.

On September 16, pleading innocence in the arms case, Shahed has sought justice from court.

On September 18, Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu and Additional Public Prosecutor Tapash Kumar Pal demanded the maximum sentence, life imprisonment, for Shahed in the case.