HC seeks trial court judge’s explanation on granting bail to suspended DIG prisons

The High Court sought explanation today from a trial court judge regarding their decision to grant ad-interim bail to Partha Gopal Banik, a suspended deputy inspector general (prisons) of Sylhet division, in a case filed over the recovery of Tk 80 lakh from his residence in Dhaka.

The HC ordered judge Md Iqbal Hossain of the Special Judge Court-5 of Dhaka to submit a written explanation -- in seven working days to it -- on which grounds his court granted ad-interim bail to Partha Gopal.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman also asked authorities concerned of Channel-24, a private television channel, to submit before them within seven days a copy of the report that questioned the Dhaka court order over granting the bail.

The bench passed the order following an appeal filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), challenging the Dhaka court's bail order.

ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that Judge Md Iqbal Hossain of the Special Judge Court-5 of Dhaka on June 17 granted bail to Partha Gopal in an "unusual manner" although there are specific allegations against him.

The Channel-24 has published a report on "unusually" granting bail to Partha Gopal, he said, adding that Partha Gopal got released from jail following the Dhaka court order. 

On June 17, Judge Md Iqbal Hossain granted ad-interim bail to Partha Gopal in the case even though the prosecution raised a serious objection.

The judge granted him bail till July 15 upon a bond of Tk 50,000 with two guarantors, one of whom must be a local guardian and the other a practicing lawyer.