Date for indictment hearing against SK Sinha, 10 others fixed

Former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha
File Photo

A Dhaka court on Wednesday set 23 April for holding hearing on charge framing in a graft case against former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others.

Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 set the date as police refrained from producing accused Mahbubul Haque Chisti from jail amid fear of coronavirus outbreak, reports news agency BSS.

Earlier on 20 February, Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge KM Imrul Qayes transferred the case to Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 for further hearing.

Ten other accused are -- former Farmers Bank managing director AKM Shameem, first vice-presidents Swapan Kumar Roy and Shafiuddin Askari, senior executive vice-presidents Gazi Salauddin and Ziauddin Ahmed, and vice-president M Lutful Haque, bank clients Md Shahjahan, Niranjan Chandra Saha, his uncle Ranajit Chandra Saha and Ranajit’s wife Santree Roy.

Earlier, the court dropped name of one accused as he already died and included name of Chisti afresh.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director Syed Iqbal Hossain filed the lawsuit against SK Sinha and 10 others with the anti-graft body’s Dhaka integrated district office-1 at Segunbagicha on 10 July 2019 for allegedly plundering Tk 40 million from then Farmers Bank through fake loan documents.

According to the allegation, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan took the money on loan from the Farmers Bank, which was later transferred to justice Sinha’s Sonali Bank account, showing it was earned from selling of his (Sinha’s) house.