Ex CJ Sinha gets 11-year jail in graft case

Published : 09 Nov 2021, 19:17

Sahos Desk

A court here today convicted and sentenced former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar (SK) Sinha to 11-year imprisonment in a case filed for embezzling Taka four crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad. 

Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 pronounced the judgement at the crowded courtroom. 

The former Chief Justice was sentenced to seven-year imprisonment and fined Taka 45 lakh on the charge of money laundering and was handed down four years jail and fined Taka 50 thousand for embezzling the money. But the judgement said the sentences under both the charges will run concurrently. 

The court also ordered to seize Taka 78 lakh of Justice Sinha under state exchequer. 

The court in its observation said the loan was sanctioned for the former chief justice by violating the credit policy of the bank through influence, adding, "It has also been proven that the money was laundered abroad." 

The court also sentenced former managing director of the then Farmer's Bank AKM Shameem to four-year imprisonment and fined him Taka 50 thousand. The court sentenced former chairman of the bank's Audit Committee Md Mahbubul Haque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, Ranajit Chandra Saha and his wife Santi Roy to three-year imprisonment each. 

Bank's first vice-presidents Swapan Kumar Roy and Shafiuddin Askaree, vice-president M Lutful Haque and senior executive vice-president Gazi Salauddin were sentenced to three-year imprisonment and fined Taka 25 thousand each. 

Two other accused Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha were acquitted by the court. 

Earlier the court started reading out the 182-page judgement at 11.04 am in presence of the seven accused out of total 11 and concluded at around 1.10pm. 

The seven accused, who were on the dock during the pronouncement of the judgement, are -Md Mahbubul Haque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, AKM Shameem, M Lutful Haque, Gazi Salauddin, first vice-president of then Farmer's Bank Swapan Kumar Roy, and bank clients Md Shahjahan and Niranjon Chandra Saha. Of these, five were convicted and were later sent to jail with conviction warrants. 

The other four accused including the former Chief Justice are yet to be arrested. 

On September 6, four accused, Babul Chisty, M Lutful Haque, AKM Shameem and Gazi Salauddin placed written statements in their defence before the court. 

Seven accused out of the total 11 in their statements in self defence on August 29, had pleaded not guilty and demanded justice from the court. These seven accused are- Babul Chisty, AKM Shameem, M Lutful Haque, Gazi Salauddin, Swapan Kumar Roy, and bank clients Md Shahjahan and Niranjon Chandra Saha. 

Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 on August 13, 2020, framed charges in the case. ACC director Benjir Ahmed had filed the charge-sheet in the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayes on December 10, 2019. The court, however, on February 20, 2020, transferred the case to Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 for further proceedings. 

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on July 10, 2019, for embezzling Taka four crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad.

According to the allegation, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan took the money on loan from then Farmers Bank, which was later transferred to Justice Sinha's Sonali Bank account, showing it was earned from selling of his (Sinha's) house. 

Source: BSS

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