Trial, if any complaints made: CJ

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha yesterday said trials of extrajudicial killings must be held if any complaint is lodged with a court in this regard.  

“I have no official knowledge of any extrajudicial killings. We don't hold trials on the basis of newspaper and media reports. If we receive any complaint about such killings, we will take necessary measures. No offenders would be let off the hook,” he added.     

The CJ was responding to a question from a journalist at the conference room of Dhaka Bar Association after paying surprise visits to some lower courts to see their proceedings.

Sinha, the 21st chief justice of the country, is only the second CJ to have made such visits. Earlier in October 2010, then chief justice ABM Khairul Haque had visited different lower courts in Dhaka in guise of a general visitor.

Sources said the CJ reached the court area around 9:10am and visited the courtrooms of the Dhaka district and sessions judge, metropolitan sessions judge, chief metropolitan magistrate and chief judicial magistrate.

He was shocked to see that four women prisoners, accused in drug cases, along with their children were kept in the court jail of the chief metropolitan magistrate's court.

“I am very much shocked to see that the judge of Nari o Shishu Nirjaton Daman Tribunal left his courtroom before 12:15pm. Trials of a huge number of cases have been pending with the tribunal,” the CJ said.

Most of the accused, facing cases under Nari o Shishu Nirjaton Daman Act, have been languishing in jail for years without trial, he mentioned.

Sinha asked the judges either to consider the bail prayers of the accused or to dispose of their cases.    

He urged the lawyers to cooperate with the judges and magistrates for quick disposal of cases. He also called upon the judges and magistrates to discharge their duties, keeping away from corruption.

Syed Aminul Islam, registrar general of the Supreme Court, and several other top SC officials accompanied the CJ.

District Judge SM Kuddus Zaman, Metropolitan Sessions Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sheikh Hafizur Rahman and Chief Judicial Magistrate Jesmin Ara Begum were present at the conference room of the bar association.

Saidur Rahman Manik, president of Dhaka Bar Association, and Ayubur Rahman, general secretary of the Bar, welcomed the CJ.