PETALING JAYA, May 31 — The Sessions Court here today acquitted and discharged celebrity preacher, Da’i Syed, or whose real name is Syed Shah Iqmal Syed Mohammad Shaiful, on two charges of committing unnatural sex and using criminal force to a private college student with intent to outrage her modesty.

Judge Jamaludin Mat made the ruling after allowing the defence's application to free Syed Shah Iqmal, 27, on both the charges.

"The accused is acquitted and discharged in accordance with Section 254 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code for both cases and bail (of RM25,000) is returned,” he said.

On Dec 10, 2020, Syed Shah Iqmal pleaded not guilty to a charge of having unnatural intercourse with the woman, then aged 22, at his rented house at Damansara Perdana here, between 3 am to 4 am on Oct 17, 2020.

He was charged under Section 377B of the Penal Code, which provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years as well as whipping, upon conviction.

On the charge with using criminal force on the woman with intent to outrage her modesty at the same place and date, it was framed under Section 354 of the Penal Code, which provides an imprisonment for up to 10 years, or fine, or whipping, or any two of the punishments, if found guilty. — Bernama