Pintu denied bail, arrest warrant issued against Obaidul Karim

A Dhaka court yesterday rejected a bail petition of detained former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu in connection with the killing of his employee Fakaruddin alias Sohel in April 2004.
Meantime, another Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against Orion Group Chairman Obaidul Haque in connection with a case filed for irregularities in importing a car and evading Tax worth Tk 85 lakh on its purchase.
CASE AGAINST PINTU
Judicial Magistrate Shahriar Arafat passed the order after Pintu's lawyers submitted a petition seeking bail saying that their client had been implicated in the case as part of a conspiracy to harass him.
Pintu, an accused in a number of criminal cases, was shown arrested in the case on Saturday following a petition submitted by the investigation officer (IO) Sub-Inspector Mainuddin of the police station.
On September 19 this year, victim's wife Minara Akhter of Munshihathi of Kamrangirchar area filed the case against Pintu and five of his accomplices with Keranigonj Model Police Station for committing the offence.
Other accused are Pintu's accomplices Jubo Dal leader Shaju, 25, Zahiruddin, 32, Gaffar, 35, Naim, 35, and Delwar, 36.
According to the case statement, the complainant mentioned that Pintu, the prime accused in the case, had appointed her husband Sohel on January 1, 2004 as an employee for collecting rents of his (Pintu) dredgers. Pintu's accomplices had snatched away Tk six lakh from her husband collected from dredgers on April 13 the same year.
But Pintu blamed her husband for stealing the money and he asked his accomplices to pick up Sohel. Sohel's body was found floating on the Buriganga River on April 16. Victim's wife could not dare to file a case against Pintu and his accomplices fearing threats on her life, the complainant added.
Pintu was sent to jail on February 12 last year after he surrendered to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court of Dhaka in connection with an attempted murder case.
CASE AGAINST OBAIDUL
Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court issued the arrest warrant against Obaidul following a prayer submitted by the IO of the case, as he had been absconding since the case was filed.
The court fixed September 29 for the next hearing of the case.
On Sunday, ACC Deputy Director Abdul Karim, also the IO of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the CMM Court in the case filed against Obaidul for irregularities in importing a car and evading Tax on its purchase.
Former lawmaker Saidul Haque from Brahmanbaria is also an accused in the case.
The IO appealed to the court for issuing arrest warrant against Obaidul Karim and the order to attach his properties. Earlier, Saidul Haque was granted bail by the High Court.
In the charge sheet, the IO mentioned that the charges brought against the two were primarily proved and they should be brought under trial.
The commission filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station against Obaidul Karim and Saidul Haque on August 9 last year for committing the offences.