DHAKA,  – A court here today adjourned the pronouncement of judgement till October 21 in a case against former Chief Justice (CJ) Surendra Kumar (SK) Sinha and 10 others for allegedly embezzling Taka four crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad.

Acting judge Ali Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 passed the order as the regular judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam was on leave today. Earlier on September 14, Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 had set today to pronounce the judgement as both prosecution and defence concluded their closing arguments in the case on that day.

Earlier on September 6, four accused, former chairman of then Farmer’s Bank’s Audit Committee Md Mahbubul Haque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, vice- president M Lutful Haque, managing director AKM Shameem and senior executive vice-president Gazi Salauddin placed written statements in their defence before the court. Seven accused out of the total 11 in their statements in self defence on August 29, had pleaded not guilty and demanded justice from the court.

These seven accused are- Babul Chisty, AKM Shameem, M Lutful Haque, Gazi Salauddin, first vice-president of the then Farmer’s Bank Swapan Kumar Roy and bank clients Md Shahjahan and Niranjon Chandra Saha. Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 on August 13, 2020, framed charges in the case. ACC director Benjir Ahmed had filed the charge-sheet in the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayes on December 10, 2019. The court, however, on February 20, 2020, transferred the case to Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 for further proceedings.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on July 10, 2019, for embezzling Taka four crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad. The other accused are AKM Shameem, Swapan Kumar Roy, Shafiuddin Askaree, Gazi Salauddin, M Lutful Haque, Md Mahbubul Haque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, Md Shahjahan, Niranjan Chandra Saha, his uncle Ranajit Chandra Saha and Ranajit’s wife Santi Roy. According to the allegation, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan took the money on loan from the then Farmers Bank, which was later transferred to Justice Sinha’s Sonali Bank account, showing it was earned from selling of his (Sinha’s) house.