Actress Pori Moni faces police questioning in custody over drugs charges

A Dhaka court has granted the police four days to question actress Pori Moni in a case over the unlawful possession of alcohol and drugs.

Court Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 5 August 2021, 03:38 PM
Updated : 5 August 2021, 09:33 PM

Inspector Sohel Rana of Banani Police Station, who is investigating the case, brought her to the court and sought a seven-day remand of the actress on Thursday.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mamunur Rashid dismissed a plea by Pori Moni’s lawyers to set her free on bail in the evening after the hearing in a crowded courtroom despite the coronavirus lockdown curbs.

The RAB detained Pori Moni allegedly with bottles of liquor, Yaba pills and LSD blots in a raid on her Banani home on Wednesday.

Pori Moni recently grabbed the headlines after accusing a businessman of trying to rape and murder her at a boating club. Police subsequently arrested Nasir Uddin Mahmood, a Dhaka Boat Club member, in a case filed by the actress.

The judge on Thursday also remanded Pori Moni’s associate Ashraful Islam Dipu, who was detained during the raid on her home.

Film producer Nazrul Islam Raz and his associate Sabuj Ali, who were detained in a near-simultaneous raid on Raz’s house in the same area.

They were put on a four-day remand in another case on similar charges. RAB said Raz had helped Pori Moni to make a career on the film industry.

He is also accused of carrying out illicit activities in the name of hosting night parties, and keeping pornographic content in his laptop. Another case was filed against him under the Pornography (Control) Act.     

Besides 19 bottles of liquor, RAB said it found 4 grams of ice, or crystal meth, and one blot of LSD in Pori Moni’s flat.

In Raz’s flat, RAB seized 14 bottles of liquor, 14 materials used for unnatural sex, 970 yaba pills, shisha and equipment to take yaba and shisha.

COMMOTION IN CROWDED COURT

The courtroom was packed with lawyers, police, and journalists when the four suspects were put to the dock.

The lawyers argued for half an hour over who would sign the papers.

Before the judge took his seat, an official announced only the lawyers who signed the papers would be allowed in the courtroom.

The police also asked the other lawyers to leave.

When the police put the accused to the dock, one of the lawyers hugged Pori Moni out of emotion. A tearful Pori Moni was heard calling him “Niloy”.

Other lawyers tried to stop lawyer Nilanjana Rifat Surovi when she signed the papers of Pori Moni’s case.

The judge then announced the names of the lawyers who signed the papers, asking others to leave.

At the hearing, Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu said it was necessary to question the suspects to know where they had sourced the drugs from.

Lawyer Nilanjana then argued that Pori Moni was framed as part of a conspiracy centring the rape case she had filed.

The lawyer also alleged a quarter with vested interest was behind the raid on the actress’s home to ruin her career.  

Another lawyer, Sikder Md Akhtaruzzaman, claimed Raz has a drinking licence as a Commercially Important Person of the government.