Ctg court rejects ex-Iskcon leader Chinmoy's bail plea

A Chattogram court denied bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the former spokesperson of Iskcon, following a closely monitored hearing this morning (2 January). 

Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam rejected Chinmoy's bail plea after 30 minutes of arguments from both sides.

After the hearing, Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court's Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan said, "We opposed the bail during the hearing, and the court has rejected the bail application."

Earlier, a team of 11 Supreme Court lawyers appeared at the court around 10:15am to represent Chinmoy, also the spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote.

Chinmoy's lawyer, former Deputy Attorney General Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya told The Business Standard, the charges levelled against him [Chinmoy] could not be proven by the prosecution.

"The allegation of disrespecting the national flag is baseless, as it was not a national flag. We informed the court that this case cannot proceed. However, the court rejected the bail plea. We will approach the High Court," he added.

Advocate Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, president of the Chattogram District Bar Association, said, "The defence presented their grounds for bail. However, this being a sedition case with ongoing investigations, the prosecution opposed bail, which the court upheld." 

The court premises saw heightened security, with police barricading entrances and restricting access. Lawyers and individuals entering the premises underwent strict identity checks, with the general public allowed to enter only after noon. 

Chinmoy is accused of sedition in a case filed on 31 October for allegedly desecrating the national flag. He was arrested on 25 November at Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport by detectives and handed over to Chattogram Metropolitan Police the following day. 

Following his remand hearing on 26 November, a clash between law enforcers, lawyers, and Chinmoy's followers resulted in the death of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif. 

On 3 December, the court postponed Chinmoy's bail hearing to 2 January 2025, as no lawyer represented him during the earlier proceedings.

Later, on 12 December, Supreme Court lawyer Rabindra Ghosh submitted an authorisation letter on behalf of local lawyer Sumit Acharya. The court then ordered the presence of the lawyer for verification of the document.

After delays in his earlier hearing on 3 December, today's proceedings marked the latest legal developments in this high-profile case.