Ex-OC Pradeep get 20 years in jail, wife 21 years in graft case

A Chattogram court has sentenced former Teknaf police station officer-in-charge (OC) Pradeep Kumar Das to 20 years in jail and his wife Chumki Karan to 21 years in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

At the same time, the court ordered the attachment of all the properties of the couple.

Chattogram District and Sessions Judge Munshi Mohammad Abdul Majid passed the order on Wednesday. The two have also been fined Tk4 crore by the court.

Pradeep, a death row convict in the Major Sinha murder case, has been handed 20 years of imprisonment while his wife Chumki Karan was sentenced to 21 years in jail.

The court also instructed authorities concerned to confiscate all assets owned by the couple, ACC lawyer Mahmudul told The Business Standard.

"We have been able to prove the charges brought against the couple. Today's verdict comes following the testimonies of total 24 witnesses."

Mentioning that Chumki got more jail term than Pradeep, lawyer Mahmudul Haque said, "Pradeep has been proven guilty on three counts, while Chumki was found guilty on four counts. Both of them received the same sentence on three counts. The court acquitted Pradeep of the charge of hiding information of wealth. But Chumki was found guilty on this count," he said.

"Because of this, Chumki's sentence is one year more than that of Pradeep. This imprisonment includes hard labour (rigorous imprisonment)," he added.

However, Advocate Sameer Dasgupta, representing the convicts, claimed that the prosecution failed to prove the charges brought up against his clients.

"I hope that the HC will acquit Pradeep and his wife from the corruption charges," he added.

He said OC Pradeep, who had complained to the ACC, was made a witness in the case. But the state failed to produce him as a witness in the court. Since he did not appear, the benefit of doubt will go to the accused.

The court announced the verdict around 11 am today. At that time, both Pradeep and Chumki were present in court. Although Pradeep looked very calm, Chumki was seen nervously sitting between two female police officials and trying to hide herself.

Earlier, the Chattogram court fixed 27 July to deliver a verdict against the former officer in charge (OC) of Teknaf police station and death row convict Pradeep Kumar Das and his wife Chumki Karan in the corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

On 15 December 2021, the same court framed charges against OC Pradeep Kumar Das and his wife in the case for illegally amassing wealth.

Assistant Director of ACC's Chattogram-2 office Md Riaz Uddin, on 23 August 2020, lodged the graft case against the couple. Later, the ACC filed a charge sheet to a Chattogram court on 6 July 2021, which was accepted by the court on 1 September 2021.

Chumki surrendered before the court on 23 May 2022.

According to the case statement, the ACC accused Pradeep and Chumki of illegally acquiring assets worth Tk39,505,635 concealing information of wealth and money laundering.

Chattogram Metropolitan Session Judge Sheikh Ashfaque Rahman on 29 June asked the deputy commissioners of Cox's Bazar and Chattogram to confiscate the assets of ex-OC Pradeep and his wife in a graft case and appoint a receiver.

Sacked OC Pradeep Kumar Das was sentenced to death for the murder of Sinha Md Rashed Khan, a retired army major.

On 31 July 2020, Major (retd) Sinha Rashed Khan was shot to death by police at the Baharchhara check-post in Teknaf.

On 5 August that year, his sister Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous filed a case for the murder with the Cox's Bazar Judicial Magistrate's Court, against Pradeep and nine others.