The High Court yesterday acquitted six convicts in connection with the murder of Advocate Kalidas Boral in 2000.

The six acquitted are Md Alamgir Siddiqui, Nasir Siddiqui, Swapan, Shawkat Siddiqui, Babul Mollah and Manik.

Alamgir and Shawkat are now behind bars while the rest are on the run, said Advocate GM Babul Akter, a lawyer for the defendants.

The court also upheld the conviction and death penalty of two others in the case. They are: Saidul Islam and Saidur Rahman. The bench of Justice Krishna Debnath and Justice Shahidul Karim delivered the verdict after hearing the death reference and appeals filed by the accused challenging the trial court's judgement.

Kalidas Boral, also the former chairman of Chitalmari Upazila Parishad and a local Awami League leader, was shot dead by miscreants in Bagerhat in 2000.

In June 2013, a Bagerhat court sentenced five people to death while three others to life imprisonment in the case.

Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General MA Mannan Mohan said that the government will move an appeal before the apex court challenging the HC verdict directing the acquittals.