A Dhaka court has sent Imran Hossain Sumon, a senior reporter of ATN News, to jail after rejecting his bail petition in a case filed under the Pornography Control Act and Digital Security Act.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md.Mainul Islam issued the order on Wednesday, after Md Jasim Uddin, Detective Branch (DB) Inspector and investigation officer of the case, produced Sumon before the court after a one-day remand for the accused.
Inspector Jasim in his plea urged the court to send the private television channel journalist to jail as important information given by him during interrogation needed to be investigated properly.
Defence counsel Tuhin Howlader had filed a bail petition, mentioning that his client was not involved with the incidents that led to the filing of the case.
After hearing both sides, the court said Sumon would not be given bail as the case was filed under non-bailable sections of the acts and was under investigation.
On Monday, the same court had granted police one day to grill the journalist.
The day before, police had arrested Sumon from Dhaka’s Hatirjheel area in connection with the case filed at Pallabi police station by Akhi Bhadra, a senior presenter of ATN News, over obscene messages sent to her phone.
Earlier, police had nabbed a youth in connection with the case, who reportedly told investigators that he had sent the messages on being influenced by Sumon.
The case was handed over to the DB on July 14.
After Sumon’s arrest, DB Deputy Commissioner (Serious Crime Investigation) Mudasser Hossain said that the senior reporter had confessed to the crime during preliminary interrogation.