The High Court (HC) yesterday in a verdict quashed all proceedings against 12 Supreme Court lawyers, including Dr kamal Hossain, in a case of vandalism on the Supreme Court (SC) premises over the caretaker government issue in November, 2006.
The other lawyers are M Amirul Islam, Rokanuddin Mahmud, Subrata Chowdhury, Subrata Shaha, Tania Amir, Khairul Alam Pipul, Syed Mamun Mahbub, M Sohrawardi, M Enayetur Rahim (now a High Court judge), M Khashruzzaman and Sheikh Awsafur Rahman.
An HC bench of Justice Md Shamsul Huda and Justice Abu Bakar Siddiquee delivered the verdict after hearing a petition filed by the lawyers for quashing the proceedings against them.
The court observed in the judgment that there is no element of offence against the petitioners, as the case was filed from ill motive of the then government.
On November 30, 2006, violence erupted on the SC premises as the then chief justice stayed the proceedings of three writ petitions minutes before an HC bench was to issue rule on one writ challenging legality of the president's takeover as the chief adviser of the caretaker government.
Barrister Omar Sadat, an SC lawyer, had filed the criminal case with the CMM court on December 5, 2006.
Advocate Mahmudul Islam appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Md Salim and Assistant Attorneys General M Bashir Ullah and Zakir Hossain Ripan represented the state.
