SC upholds HC rule in Janata Tower case

Dhaka, Nov 12 (bdnews24.com) – The Supreme Court has upheld the High Court ruling of jail and fines in the much-publicised Janata Tower graft case against former first lady Raushan Ershad and others.

A full bench led by chief justice MM Ruhul Amin dismissed an appeal against the High Court order that asked the accused to pay Tk 10,000 in fine or face two years in jail.

The court also granted an appeal by the government against the High Court rule that the Janata Tower should be handed over to a group led by Shukur Ali Pradhan.

As a result, the Janata Tower remains a government property, said deputy attorney general Zahirul Islam Mukul.

On April14, 1991, then the Bureau of Anticorruption pressed charges at Tejgaon Police Station against former president HM Ershad, Raushan, former RAJUK chairman MM Rahmatullah, Abdus Shakoor Pradhan and 17 others.

Ershad had been convicted of the charges and sentenced of five years in prison.

He appealed against the ruling and, on August 24, 2000, the sentence was reduced to two years but he was slapped with a fine of nearly Tk 5.50 crore.

After three and a half years in prison, the Appellate Division maintained the fine but relieved Ershad from serving out the remaining one and a half years behind bars.

When Raushan and others filed petition, the High Court imposed a fine of Tk 10,000 on them with the provision for two years imprisonment in they did not pay.

Meanwhile, Shukur Ali Pradhan and others successfully petitioned the High Court to get back Janata Tower.

But the Supreme Court later overturned the High Court ruling on a government appeal.

Advocate Khan Saifur Rahman represented Raushan and others in the hearings.

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