Eight people, including six journalists, have been sued under Digital Security Act for publishing reports on corruption against a sacked surveyor in Barishal.
Taking the case into cognizance, Judge Golam Faruk of District Cyber Tribunal ordered Barisal Metropolitan Police's Kotwali Model Police Station to investigate the case, sources told reporters.
MM Motaleb Hossain, a sacked surveyor of a private farm, filed the case with the tribunal on Tuesday.
The accused are Sikder Mahbub, staff reporter of a local daily, Ripon Howlader, editor and publisher of BD Crime24, Md Anik, editor and publisher of Barisal Crime Trace, Omar Faruk Sabbir, executive officer of BHS TV online, Syed Mehdi Hasan, local staff correspondent of Dhaka Post, Jahirul Islam Khan Rasel, photo journalist of daily Matabad, and local residents Ismat Sayla and her husband Zahid Hossain alias Suruj Molla.
According to the complaint, Ismat Sayla shared the news published in five news portals from her personal Facebook account with captions.
In the captions, she wrote "land grabber Motaleb" has kept her and her family hostage and sought justice.
Claiming himself a reputed businessman, complainant Motaleb claimed that the news and the status tarnished his image.
Azimul Karim, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station, said they were yet to receive any order from the court.
