Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Thursday cancelled a lower court order that granted bail to suspended Deputy Inspector General (DIG) prisons Partha Gopal Banik in an “unusual manner” in a case filed over the recovery of Tk 80 lakh from his residence in Dhaka.
The High Court at the same time asked the suspended official to surrender in the trail court within September 20 this year. It also ordered to transfer the case to the speedy trail Tribunal-4 in Dhaka
and asked the tribunal to complete the case by February 28 in 2022. The High Court also asked the lower court judges to pass orders in open court after hearing the lawyers from both sides.
The High Court Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahima and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman delivered the verdict after holding hearing on an appeal petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against the lower court bail order.
Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan who appeared in the court on behalf of the ACC said that Judge Iqbal Hossain of the Special Judge Court-5 of Dhaka on June 17 granted bail to Partha Gopal in an “unusual manner” although there are specific allegations against him.
The judge granted him bail till July 15 upon a bond of Tk 50,000 with two guarantors, one of whom must be a local guardian and the other a practicing lawyer.
Following the ACC’s appeal petition the same High Court bench on June 28 this year sought an explanation from the lower court judge for granting bail to suspended Deputy Inspector General for prisons of Chattogram range Partha Gopal Banik in the case. It also asked the judge to explain the matter within seven days.
Complying with the earlier order, the judge of the Special Judge’s Court-5 in Dhaka apologized to the High Court for granting bail to Partha Gopal Banik. Judge Md Iqbal Hossain of the Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-5 offered the apology by submitting a two-page written explanation.
After detail hearing on the petition the High Court on Thursday asked the suspended official to surrender in the trial court within September 20 this year.
On July 28, 2019, the Anti-Corruption Commission detained Partha after recovering Tk 80 lakh from his residence in Dhaka. The official allegedly obtained the money through corruption.
Assistant Director of ACC Md Salahuddin filed a case under Money Laundering Act against Partha Gopal Banik the following day.
Khurshid Alam Khan said the court had ordered to begin trial against him on 4 November last year by framing charges. Testimony in the case began on 15 December. Charge-sheet was submitted on 24 August.
