Indian court denies BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed bail

A lower court in the Indian state of Meghalaya has rejected BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed's bail plea.

He was denied bail on Friday because of the red corner notice Interpol’s Dhaka office issued against Ahmed.

The BNP joint secretary general was arrested in state capital Shillong on May 11 for illegally crossing the border into India.

He is currently undergoing treatment at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGIHMS) while under judicial custody.

He had a hearing on his bail application on Friday afternoon at the Court of the District and Sessions Judge of East Khasi Hills. 

Neither the Meghalaya Police nor the public prosecutor raised any objection to Ahmed's bail petition during the hearing.

But Sessions Judge L Kharsiing was informed about the red corner notice against the former state minister by Meghalaya DGP.

The court reviewed several technicalities before rejecting Ahmed's bail plea.

His lawyer SP Mahanta, while speaking to bdnews24.com by telephone, simply said that their bail plea had been rejected.

BNP's Assistant Office Secretary Abdul Latif Jony, who is currently in Shillong, said over phone they were discussing further legal process with their lawyer.

He said they would explore additional legal options to seek bail for Ahmed, including moving the higher court.

Ahmed will have to stay in judicial custody.

On May 22, his wife Hasina Ahmed filed the bail petition to take him abroad for better treatment.

The court's decision has upset the family's plans to take Ahmed immediately to Singapore.

The wife recently said her husband was in danger in Bangladesh and needed to be taken to Singapore for treatment.

On Wednesday, Ahmed was sent to 14 days’ judicial custody by the CJM court.

But jail authorities again got him admitted to NEIGIHMS after Ahmed complained of severe chest pain on Thursday.