Sinha’s graft case verdict yet to be prepared, deferred again

PBC News: A Dhaka court has deferred the judgment against former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others till November 9 in Tk 4 crore embezzlement case.

Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court-4 of Dhaka on Thursday fixed the new date as the verdict of the case has not yet been prepared.

Earlier on September 14, both sides placed their arguments in the same court. On completion of closing arguments in the case, the court then set October 5 for delivering the judgement. However, delivery of the judgement was deferred to October 21 as the judge fell sick on that day.

Among the 11 accused of the case, Farmers Bank’s (now Padma Bank) entrepreneur director and former chairman of the Audit Committee Mahbubul Huque Chisty (Babul Chisty) is now in jail.

Former managing director of Farmers Bank AKM Shamim, senior executive vice president and former credit chif Gazi Salahuddin, first vice president Swapan Kumar Roy, vice president Md Lutful Huque, Tangail’s inhabitants Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha are now freed on bail.

Four other accused former chief justice SK Sinha, Farmers Bank’s first vice president Shafiuddin Ashkary Ahmed, Tangail inhabitants Shanti Roy alias Simi and her husband Ranjit Chandra Saha are absconding.

In October 2018, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) said it found evidence of fraud involving transactions of Tk 4 crore borrowed with fake documents by two businessmen, Shahjahan and Niranjan, from the Farmers Bank (now Padma Bank). Later, the money was deposited to former Chief Justice SK Sinha’s bank account.

On July 10, 2019, the ACC director Syed Iqbal Hossain filed the case with its Integrated District Office-1 of Dhaka against SK Sinha and 10 others in this regard.

On December 10 that year, Investigation Officer Md Benazir Ahmed, also ACC director, submitted chargesheet against them in the case.

On August 13, 2020, the court framed charges against them.

A total of 21 prosecution witnesses gave their deposition in the case, said the state lawyer.

During the closing arguments, the prosecution told the tribunal that they were able to prove the charges against the accused and sought the maximum punishment for them.