Court denies bail to Chinmoy | The Daily Star

A Chattogram court yesterday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea filed for former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in a sedition case filed in connection with desecration of the national flag of Bangladesh.

Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mr Saiful Islam dismissed the order after a Dhaka-based lawyer filed the application, saying the lawyer did not have a Vakalatnama to produce Chinmoy before the bench.

A Vakalatnama is a document that authorizes a lawyer to act on behalf of his client.

On 31 October, a BNP leader filed a case with the Kotwali police station accusing Chinmoy and 18 others of disobeying the national flag in Chattogram’s New Market area during a Hindu community rally on 25 October. The BNP leader was later expelled from the party. for violating rules and regulations.

Chinmoy was arrested in Dhaka on November 25 and sent to jail the next day. Rajesh Chowdhury and Hridoy Das were also arrested in this case.

The bail hearing for Rajesh and Hriday was scheduled yesterday.

Rabindra Gosh, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, filed several pleas in the metropolitan court, saying that his client was arrested in a false and fabricated case. He also cited Chinmoy’s health problems, saying his client was a priest and suffered from diabetes, asthma and other problems.

Chinmoy’s lawyer, advocate Shuvashish Sharma, did not attend Chinmoy’s bail hearing on December 3 due to security reasons, Rabindra told The Daily Star, adding that he had sought permission to conduct a hearing for Chinmoy, advancing the hearing date to bail and asked permission. to submit documents related to the case.

“Despite not having Vakalatnama, I can handle any case in any court across the country because I am a High Court lawyer as per the Supreme Court’s directive,” he noted, adding that other lawyers at the court “have behaved bad” with him.

According to court sources, hundreds of lawyers gathered in the courtroom during the hearing, causing chaos. The judge rejected the bail application amid the chaos and left the court.

Rabindra, however, admitted that he did not go to the jail to get the document, adding, “I will visit Chinmoy in jail now and get the Vakalatnama.”

Prosecutor lawyer Mafizul Hoque Bhuiyan told The Daily Star that the application was rejected because he did not submit the necessary documents and Chinmoy’s lawyer Shuvashish was also absent during the hearing.

The court fixed January 3 for the bail hearing of Rajesh and Hridoy as there was no lawyer to represent them, he added.

This correspondent was unable to reach lawyer Shuvashish Sharma.

Meanwhile, Bar Association lawyer Nazim Uddin Chowdhury said earlier, “As the president, I have no information that anyone has been assaulted or interrupted so far. It is true that some lawyers have been accused in a case, but I have seen more lawyers who are accused in the case carrying out their regular duties in court.”