Detained under controversial Special Powers Act, model Meghna Alam now shown arrested in fraud, extortion case
According to police, Meghna Alam had earlier received money from the diplomat and most recently demanded $5 million during a secret meeting
A Dhaka court here today (17 April) showed arrested model Meghna Alam in a case filed with the city's Dhanmandi Police Station over fraud with a foreign diplomat by luring him into a honeytrap.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Masum Miah passed the order as police produced Meghna before the court and the prosecution sought to have her formally shown as arrested in the case, confirmed Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court's Chief Public Prosecutor (PP) Omar Faruk Faruki.
Following the court's approval, she was sent back to jail.
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A case was filed on 15 April by Dhanmondi Model Police Station's Inspector (Investigation) Mohammad Abdul Alim, accusing Meghna, Samir, and two to three unidentified persons of extortion and fraud.
The name of the diplomat has not been disclosed in the case statement.
According to the case statement, a clandestine meeting held at a Dhanmondi restaurant on 29 March, where Meghna Alam, Dewan Sameer, and others allegedly conspired to demand and extort $5 million from the diplomat through blackmail.
During this meeting, a substantial sum of money was reportedly demanded from the diplomat.
Several police officials told TBS that Meghna had previously received money from the diplomat. During the most recent meeting, she allegedly demanded $5 million.
The case further stated that the actions of the accused pose a risk to international relations and constitute offenses under sections 420 (cheating), 385 (extortion), and 109 (abetment) of the Penal Code.
Model Meghna Alam, winner of Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020, was arrested from her Basundhara Residential Area flat on 9 April. She was subsequently placed under a 30-day detention order, under the Special Powers Act.
The High Court, however, on 13 April issued a rule, asking the relevant authorities to explain within two weeks why her 30-day detention under the Special Powers Act should not be declared beyond legal jurisdiction.
A High Court division bench of Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Tamanna Rahman Khalidi passed the order, following a hearing on a writ petition filed in this connection.
