Pori Moni’s remands: Judges get another week to explain
The two judges could not prepare their replies for personal reasons
The High Court on Sunday allowed one more week to two metropolitan magistrates to explain on what grounds they had remanded actor Pori Moni several times in a drugs case.
A division bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice ASM Abdul Mobin gave the order upon a time petition.
"We have sought more time as my clients could not submit their explanations due to personal reasons," said Abdul Alim Miah Jewel, counsel for the two lower court judges.
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Assistant Attorney General Md Mizanur Rahman stood for the state.
Earlier on 29 September, the HC sought fresh explanations, not being satisfied with explanations submitted by the trial court judges. The court also set 24 October for holding a hearing on this issue.
Following a writ petition, on 2 September, the HC directed Dhaka metropolitan magistrates Debabrata Biswas and Atiqul Islam to submit their explanations within 10 days as to why they had repeatedly granted remands to the police for Pori Moni.
On 15 September, the two magistrates submitted their explanations and offered an unconditional apology to the HC. However, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the explanations.
In its observation, the HC said, "Their explanations undermined the court."
A plea filed on 29 August challenged the repeated remanding of actor Shamsunnahar Smriti – known by her screen name Pori Moni – and sought the intervention of the HC in this regard.
Following the actor's arrest on the night of 4 August from her Banani residence in a raid by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a drug case was filed.
The actor was denied bail several times and remained imprisoned in custody for 27 days.
On 26 August, the HC issued a ruling on the delay in hearing Pori Moni's bail petition.
