The High Court on Thursday scraped a lower court verdict which in 2008 sentenced former BNP minister Nazmul Huda to 12 years' imprisonment in an extortion case.

GM Siraj, former BNP lawmaker and owner of Cab Express Ltd, filed the case on July 27, 2007, stating that Nazmul Huda and his wife Sigma Huda on February 27, 2003 intimidated him into giving them a Maruti car, worth Tk 3.95 lakh, for the weekly Khaborer Antaralay, published by Sigma Huda.

Sigma was acquitted in the case in 2008. Nazmul later filed an appeal with the HC challenging the trial court verdict.

The grounds on which the HC delivered the verdict on Thursday were not known as its full judgment was not released.

Assistant Attorney General Khondker Modarresh Elahi said the government will file an appeal with the Supreme Court against the HC verdict.