Apan Jewellers owner free to walk out of jail

The High Court today granted bail to one of the owners of Apan Jewellers, Dildar Ahmed, in a money laundering case clearing the way of his walk out of jail.

The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim granted him bail after hearing a petition filed by Dildar seeking bail in the case.

Dildar’s lawyer Barrister Mehdi Hasan Chowdhury told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar to his client’s release from jail following the High Court order.

He said two other owners of Apan Jewellers -- Gulzar Ahmed and Azad Ahmed --have already got released after getting HC bail.

On January 8, the Supreme Court upheld a High Court verdict that granted bail to the three Apan Jewellerss owners, dismissing three leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the government challenging the bail orders.

Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) on August 12 sued three on the charge of money laundering in importing around 15 maunds of gold.

Three separate cases were lodged with Dhanmondi, Ramna and Uttara police stations while two additional lawsuits were lodged with Gulshan Police Station in this connection.

Apan Jewellerss owners Dildar Ahmed, father of the double-rape case accused Shafat Ahamed, was made accused in three cases while Gulzar Ahmed and Azad Ahmed made accused of three separate cases following the directives of National Board of Revenue.

The three were sent to jail on October 28 last year after they surrendered to the trial court.