Charges framed against Purbani Hotel MD Joyanal

A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against Mahbubur Rahman Joynal, managing director of Hotel Purbani, in a case filed for possessing ornaments of diamond illegally at his residence in October last year.
Judge Mohammad Abul Bashar of the Special Tribunal-2 fixed August 28 for trial of the case and issued summons on the complainant and other witnesses to appear before it on the scheduled date for giving their statements.
Joynal, now on bail from the High Court, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice before the court after the charges were read out to him.
On October 30 last year, the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized diamond and gold ornaments, alcoholic beverages, bonds, shares and foreign and local currencies estimated to be around Tk 50 crore in all, raiding Dhanmondi residence of Hotel Purbani International's managing director.
The Rab men searched the house and seized shares of different companies worth around Tk 28 crore, bonds worth Tk 1 crore, local currency Tk 51.10 lakh, currencies of at least 15 countries, 38 credit cards of as many local and foreign banks, 17 bank cheques, and diamond and gold ornaments worth several crore taka, alcoholic beverages and two passports.
Sources said Joynal and his girlfriend Jannatul Ferdous Nikita drove out of the house during the raid. Nikita's father Abdun Noor claimed that his daughter is Joynal's wife but Rab suspects she is his girlfriend.
Nikita's brother told the interrogators that his sister had been living with Joynal at his house in Dhanmondi. But Rab said Nikita's sister Pushpa Noor alias Sabita too is a Yaba user and dealer.
The team also seized four knives from Joynal's residence the same day.
Following the seizure, four cases were filed with Mohammadpur police on November 3 last year in this connection and Joynal and his girlfriend were arrested from the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court premises when he went to surrender before it for bail on November 6.
The cases were under Arms Act, the Narcotics Control Act, the Foreign Currency Regulation Act and the Special Powers Act.