Pori on Remand: ‘They have undermined this court’
The High Court yesterday ordered two lower court judges, who had placed actor Pori Moni on remand for the second and third time in a narcotics case, to give further explanations to it about their conducts over granting remand prayers.
The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar Kajol also fixed October 24 for passing further order on this issue.
During yesterday's hearing, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin requested the HC bench to pardon the two judges (metropolitan magistrates Debbrata Biswas and Atikul Islam) for their mistakes, saying that they are very young (judicial) officers and they have lack of training.
They are sorry and repented for the mistakes, the attorney general added.
ZI Khan Panna, lawyer for Ain o Salish Kendra that filed the petition with the HC challenging the remand-granting orders, told The Daily Star that metropolitan magistrates Debbrata Biswas and Atikul Islam will have to offer unconditional apology to the HC for granting remand prayers against Pori Moni for second and third time in the same case.
On September 15, the HC bench expressed discontent at the explanations of the two judges saying that they had "undermined" this court.
"The metropolitan magistrates [lower court judges] in their explanations said they granted the prayers for remands [of Pori Moni], considering the whole situation. They requested for pardon if they have made any unintended mistakes or faults in passing the remand orders," the HC said.
The HC said it seems, from their explanations, that they don't believe that they have done anything wrong. "They have undermined us by giving such explanations," the HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman and Justice Zahid Sarwar said during hearing a petition relating to this issue.
The bench then fixed yesterday for passing order on this petition.
Investigation officer of the case, Golam Mostafa, yesterday appeared before the HC bench in line with its September 15 order.
Yesterday, the HC bench delivered the order during hearing of the petition filed by rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) challenging the orders of metropolitan magistrates Debbrata and Atikul granting the IO's prayers for taking Pori Moni on remands.
The two metropolitan magistrates have apologised to the HC for their "unintended mistakes and faults" in placing Pori Moni on remands for the second and third time in a narcotics case, saying that they have done it in "good faith".
They offered apology in separate written explanations which were earlier submitted to the HC through the Supreme Court registrar general's office.
They said in the explanations that they have ordered the police to execute the remand of Pori Moni in the presence of a female police officer under the SC directives.
The metropolitan magistrates also prayed to the HC bench to exonerate them from any further proceedings, saying that they will remain more cautious during passing remand orders in future.
In his explanation, Judge Debbrata said accused Pori Moni alias Shamsun Nahar Smrity has been arrested with narcotics, including foreign liquor, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which are awful for the society.
He said he granted prayer for two days' remand of her as he thought it was reasonable to find out the source of LSD narcotics and the masterminds.
Judge Atikul in his explanation said his court allowed one day's remand of Pori Moni to extract concrete and exact information on how the terrible narcotics like LSD have entered the country and how they have spread and who are involved with them, HC sources said.
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