Chinmoy Das to be questioned at jail gate in another case over vandalism

The court also ordered the report in the case to be submitted by Jun 22, an official says

File Photo

A Chattogram court has approved the questioning of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson for the Sanatani Jagaran Jote, at the jail gate in another case.

Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate SM Alauddin Mahmud gave the order on Monday.

Md Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury, assistant public prosecutor at the Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s court, said: “The court approved the questioning of the suspect at the jail gate based on a petition from the investigating officer at the city’s Kotwali Police Station in a case over vandalism.”

“In addition, the court also ordered the report in the case to be submitted by the 22nd of June.”

On Jun 3, a court had rejected bail for Chinmoy in five cases.

The cases are the murder case of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, three cases filed by police over attacks, vandalism, and under the Explosives Substances Act over incidents on Nov 26, and a case filed by Alif’s brother.

Police were given permission to question Chinmoy over the case filed by Alif’s brother on Monday.

On May 18, police had been given permission to interrogate Chinmoy in two more cases.

The court had ordered Chinmoy’s arrest in connection with the murder case of lawyer Alif on May 5, following a request from the investigating officer. The following day, the court had ordered Chinmoy's arrest in three cases filed by police over the Nov 26 incidents as well as in a case filed by Alif’s brother.

Last year, on Nov 26, members of the Hindu community staged a protest around a prison van on the Chattogram court premises after the court rejected Chinmoy Krishna Brahmachari’s bail plea in a sedition case and ordered him to jail.

The protest turned violent and lasted for two and a half hours before police dispersed the crowd by firing sound grenades and took Chinmoy into custody.

During the unrest, protesters vandalised several motorcycles and vehicles parked on the court road. In response, lawyers and court staff chased the protesters. Amid the ensuing chaos on Rangam Convention Hall road, lawyer Alif was killed.

Police filed three cases that night in connection with the violence at the court premises, in front of the Rangam Cinema Hall, and at Kotwali intersection -- all for attacks on law enforcers.

In the court premises incident, 49 named and 600–700 unnamed individuals were accused. In the Rangam Cinema Hall case, 14 people were named with 300–400 unnamed suspects, and in the Kotwali intersection incident, 13 were named with another 250–300 unnamed suspects.

The cases accuse Chinmoy and others of trying to forcibly free him from custody by staging a pre-planned attack involving various weapons, physical assault, vandalism, looting, explosions, obstruction of government duties, and criminal force.

On Nov 29, Alif’s father Jamal Uddin filed a murder case with Chattogram’s Kotwali Police Station, naming 31 people and listing another 15–16 as unidentified suspects.

That same day, Alif’s brother Khane Alam filed another case over the attack on lawyers, vandalism, and explosions, accusing 116 people.

Chinmoy was initially arrested on Nov 25 in Dhaka in connection with a sedition case for allegedly disrespecting the national flag.

Although the High Court granted him bail in that case, the state appealed the decision to the Appellate Division, which stayed his release.