HC discards bail of ‘casino kingpin’ Samrat
The High Court yesterday scraped a lower court order that granted bail to expelled Jubo League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat in a corruption case.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo also ordered Samrat to surrender before the lower court in seven days in connection with the case.
It warned the lower court judge that he should not have granted bail to Samrat, one of the "casino kingpins" in Dhaka, on health grounds before receiving and examining the latest medical report.
The latest medical report on Samrat's health was supposed to be produced before the lower court concerned on June 9, but the judge granted him bail based on reports from 2020 and 2021, which is like putting the cart before the horse, the bench observed.
The lower court judge should be cautious in granting bail to the accused in future, the bench said.
The HC bench delivered the order after hearing a petition, filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, seeking cancellation of Samrat's bail.
Samrat's lawyer Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury said his client was sick and receiving treatment at the Coronary Care Unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
The HC cancelled his bail due to some mistakes by the lower court, he said.
The senior lawyer said Samrat will surrender to the lower court in line with the HC order and will move a fresh petition before that court, seeking bail on medical grounds.
On Monday, the ACC filed the petition with the HC challenging the lower order granting bail to Samrat.
Citing the petition, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said the lower court concerned granted bail to Samrat on medical groundsalthough he was undergoing treatment at the BSMMU.
Samrat cannot be granted bail because of the gravity of his offence, Khurshid told The Daily Star.
Samrat was released on bail on May 11 after Judge Al Asad Md Asifuzzaman of Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 granted him bail that very day. He spent over two and a half years in jail in four cases.
Yesterday, ACC lawyer Khurshid and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik opposed bail of Samrat while senior lawyer Munsurul presented arguments before the HC bench in favour of bail.
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