- By Supratik Das
- Tue, 06 May 2025 11:08 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a significant judicial turn, the Chittagong court has "shown arrested" former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das. The Bangladeshi Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das was alleged in four separate murder cases, just days after the Bangladesh High Court granted him bail in a high-profile sedition case. Das, a former leader of ISKCON and Bangladesh Sanatani Jagran Jote spokesperson, was first arrested at Dhaka Airport on November 25, 2024, on sedition charges related to allegedly disrespecting the national flag of Bangladesh. But his lawyers argue that the charges are politically motivated and groundless.
As per Ashraf Hossain Razzak, General Secretary of the Chittagong Bar Association, Das has now been accused of killing Saiful Islam Alif, a practicing lawyer who was killed on November 26, 2024, while being attacked at a protest rally for the release of Das. "Chinmoy Krishna Das has been found arrested in four Alif's murder cases," Razzak informed ANI over the phone. The assault was launched by unidentified attackers with sharp weapons, further pushing the case into political and communal controversy. Das's lawyer, Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, strongly criticised the action, calling it a deliberate attempt to block the release of the Hindu monk despite the High Court bail order. “In order to stop Chinmoy Prabhu from getting out of jail, he was shown arrested in new cases just after bail was granted,” Bhattacharjee said. He also claimed that none of the defense attorneys were permitted to be present at the Chittagong court hearing, which was held unilaterally by the prosecution.
A High Court bench of Justice Atoar Rahman and Justice Md Ali Reza granted Das bail last Wednesday. "But there is no sign of his speech or motivation or anything against Chinmoy Prabhu of sedition. Still, after seven months, there is no police investigation report", Bhattacharjee said, adding that the police have yet to file an investigation report seven months after Das was first arrested. Despite the bail order, the state filed a petition with the chamber seeking a stay, although the court decided instead to hear the case.
Das's lawyers are optimistic that the spiritual leader will be released from Chittagong Central Jail within a week. "We hope he will be freed within a week from Chittagong Central Jail after the order reaches the Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate court", Bhattacharjee added. The outcome has raised renewed concerns over political tensions in Bangladesh, especially on minority leaders and activists.