Staff Reporter :
The Chamber Court of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has stayed the bail granted by the High Court to Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatan Jagaran Mancha (ISKCON), in a sedition case.
Justice Md. Rezaul Haque of the Chamber Court issued the stay order on Wednesday around 5:30 PM. The stay will remain effective until the certified copy of the High Court’s order is released and a regular leave-to-appeal petition is filed by the state.
Earlier that day, at around 2:00 PM, a High Court bench comprising Justice Md. Ataur Rahman and Justice Md. Ali Reza had granted bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das. His lawyer, Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya, stated that there was no legal bar to his client’s release following the bail order. However, the state’s legal team moved swiftly to challenge the decision.
Additional Attorney General Muhammad Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan, who represented the state along with Barrister Anik R. Haque, confirmed the Chamber Court’s order, saying: “This is a sensitive case involving the murder of a trainee lawyer. The state sought a stay on the High Court’s bail order, and the Chamber Court has granted it.”
The sedition case stems from an incident on October 25 last year, when a large rally of the Sanatan (Hindu) community was held in Chattogram under Chinmoy Krishna Das’s leadership. During the event, lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was stabbed to death near the court premises. Chinmoy has been in custody since then.
On January 2, the Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court denied his bail plea, prompting the defense to approach the High Court. On February 4, the High Court issued a rule asking why bail should not be granted, which culminated in Wednesday’s now-stayed order.
