Graft case against ex-CJ Sinha: Judgment on 5 Oct

A Dhaka court on Tuesday fixed 5 October for delivering its judgment in a graft case filed against former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others over laundering Tk 40 million (4 crore).

Dhaka Special Court-4 justice Sheikh Nazmul Alam fixed the date after concluding law point arguments from both the prosecution and the defence counsels.

Earlier, on 29 August, seven of the 11 accused in the case pleaded themselves as innocent, and hoped they would get justice.

They are -- Mahbubul Haque Chisty, former audit committee chairman of Farmers Bank, former managing director of the bank AKM Shamim, first vice president Swapan Kumar Rat, vice president Md Lutful Haque, former senior executive vice president Gazi Salahudiin, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha.

On 24 August, the defence lawyers questioned the investigation officer of the case Benazir Ahmed, director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

So far, the court has recorded the statements of 21 witnesses in this case.

On 10 July 2019, the ACC filed the case accusing former chief justice SK Sinha and 10 others of accumulating illegal wealth and laundering Tk 40 million.

On 25 September 2019, the anti-graft body summoned five officials of the Farmers Bank Ltd for interrogation over the deposit of Tk 40 million in SK Sinha's account with the Supreme Court branch of Sonali Bank Ltd.

On 10 December 2019, the investigation officer of the case filed a charge sheet against the 11 accused.

On 13 August 2020, a court framed charges against the 11 including SK Sinha.