Narcotics, Arms Cases: HC cancels bail for GK Shamim
The High Court yesterday withdrew its earlier orders that granted bail to detained GK Shamim, a top government listed contractor, in two separate criminal cases.
Two separate HC benches, which granted bails to Shamim in the first week of February, yesterday passed the recall orders on suomuto (voluntary) moves. Reports on the HC benches' bail granting orders were published in the media prominently.
The reasons for which the HC benches yesterday passed the recall orders could not be known, as the full texts of the orders have not been released yet.
The bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman withdrew its earlier order that granted bail to GK Shamim on February 6 for six months in an arms case.
Later, another HC bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty passed the recall order in a drug case. This bench had granted one year's bail to Shamim on February 4 in the drug case.
Contacted, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told The Daily Star the HC benches recalled (withdrew) their orders of bail granted to GK Shamim on suomuto move.
"I have not place any arguments before the High Court benches for recalling the bail orders and I have not received the full text of recall orders. Therefore, I cannot specifically say the grounds on which the benches have passed the recall orders. However, I feel that the High Court benches passed the recall orders after they realized that their bail granting orders were not right," he said.
The attorney general said his office had readied two separate appeals earlier in the day against the HC orders that granted bail to GK Shamim in the two cases.
The appeals needed not to be moved before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for canceling the HC orders of bail as the HC benches themselves recalled the bail orders, he said.
AG Mahbubey Alam said Deputy Attorney General Md Fazlur Rahman Khan (FR Khan), who is engaged with the HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman, told him that he (FR Khan) did not know about the HC order that granted bail to Shamim.
"Deputy Attorney General Jannatul Ferdoushi Rupa, who is engaged with the HC bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty, told me that there is a mess-up in the name of GK Shamim in his bail petition on which the bench granted him bail," he added.
DAGs FR Khan and Jannatul Ferdoushi Rupa could not be reached for their comments over cell phones despite repeated attempts.
Meanwhile yesterday, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government will examine the issues regarding the state counsels' (DAGs) unawareness about the HC's granting bail to GK Shamim.
The incident of DAGs' unawareness about the HC's granting bail to GK Shamim is unfortunate, he said while talking to reporters at Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka.
Shamim's lawyer Advocate Momtazuddin Ahmed Mehedi told reporters that his client can move fresh petitions before the HC for bail in the cases.
Shamim may also move appeals before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging yesterday's HC orders that withdrew the orders of bail, he said.
The HC benches granted bail to Shamim in the narcotics and arms cases as he (Shamim) has been in jail for over five months, while the maximum punishment in the cases is six months' imprisonment, his lawyer Shawkat Osman told The Daily Star on Saturday.
The lawyer said Shamim could not be released from jail following the HC order, as he is arrested in two other criminal cases.
On September 20, a team of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested Shamim, an influential contractor of the Public Works Department and an expelled Jubo League leader, on charges of extortion and tender manipulation. His bodyguards were also arrested.
On that day, Rab raided his house and office in the city's Niketan area and seized eight firearms, a huge amount of ammunition, bank fixed deposits worth Tk 165 crore, around Tk 1.8 crore in cash, a large stash of US and Singaporean dollars and some foreign alcohol.
Later, Rab lodged three cases under the Narcotics Control Act and Arms Act against Shamim with Gulshan Police Station. Anti-Corruption Commission also filed a case against Shamim and his mother for amassing wealth worth Tk 297.08 crore beyond known sources of income. Ends/
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