HC to hear Chinmoy's bail petition after Eid vacation

The High Court (HC) will hold a hearing on a rule regarding the bail of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote and former ISKCON leader, in a sedition case followed by the HC vacation and Eid holiday.

Both vacations will continue till 19 April.

An HC bench of Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Ali Reza set the date, said the defendant's lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee.  

Earlier, on February 4, the HC issued a rule asking the government to explain why Chinmoy should not be granted bail in the sedition case, rejecting his bail plea.  

Later, on March 19, the rule was presented before the court for hearing while the HC set the date, but it was revealed today (Sunday).  

Additional Attorney Generals Aneek R Haque and Arshadul Rauf stood for the state in the court during the hearing. 

On October 25 last year, a large gathering of the Sanatani community was held in Chattogram under the leadership of Chinmoy Krishna Das.

A sedition case was filed against 19 people, including Chinmoy, on the charge of belittling the national flag on October 31.

On November 22, another large rally was held in Rangpur under the leadership of Chinmoy who was arrested in Dhaka on November 25 in the sedition case.

On January 2 this year, Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam denied bail to Chinmoy in the sedition case. On December 11 last year, the same court rejected his bail petition in the same case.

The Chattogram court rejected Chinmoy's bail petition and ordered him to be sent to jail, and the decision sparked clashes between his followers, law enforcers and lawyers on the court premises.

At one stage of the clash, a lawyer, Saiful Islam Alif, was hacked to death outside the court premises.