Pori Moni remand: 2 judges seek apology, HC order on Nov 25

Judge Debabrata Biswas and judge Atiqul Islam submitted written explanations seeking unconditional apology appearing at the virtual HC bench of Justice Mostofa Zaman Islam Justice ASM Abdul Mobin on Sunday.
The High Court bench fixed November 25 to pass an order on them.

Earlier, they submitted their pleas for unconditional apologies through their designated lawyers.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) conducted a drive at Pori Moni's Banani residence on August 4 last and seized huge quantity of foreign-made liquor, liquor bottles and other drugs from there. At about 8:15pm, Pori Moni was taken to the RAB Headquarters at Uttara in the capital for questioning.

Later, a drug case was filed against her with Banani Police Station. A lower court judge placed Pori Moni on a four-day remand on August 5 while another judge on a two-day remand on August 10.

Later on August 13, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Dhiman Chandra Mondol ordered to send Pori Moni to jail rejecting her bail prayer. At the order of the court, Pori Moni was sent to Kashimpur Women's Central Jail in Gazipur at about 7:00pm by a prison van from the Dhaka Judge Court area.

Then Pori Moni was taken to custody from the jail on August 19 under a one-day remand for the third time. After the remand was over, Pori Moni was sent to jail again on August 21.

In such a situation, Supreme Court lawyer Syeda Nasrin submitted a petition to the High Court on August 29 on behalf of local human rights organisation Ain-o-Salish Kendra (ASK) seeking an order challenging the legality of placing Pori Moni on remand again and again undermining the Supreme Court order on bail.

On August 31, a judicial court granted Pori Moni bail. Later, on September 1, she was released from Kashimpur Women's Central Jail.

Meanwhile, responding to the petition by ASK, the High Court on September 2 ordered Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrates Debabrata Biswas and Atiqul Islam to submit written explanations within 10 days regarding their orders placing Pori Moni on remand for the second and third times.

Besides, the High Court summoned all the documents of the drug case filed with Banani Police Station against Pori Moni.

Then the two judges submitted their explanations to the High Court. But, the High Court was not satisfied over their explanations. Regarding the explanations, High Court on September 15 said: "The two lower court judges undermined the High Court." The High Court also said, "The magistrates didn't believe that they had committed mistakes. The High Court was undermined."

Later, the High Court ordered to submit fresh explanations over the matter and set September 29 to pass the next order. Then the High Court in an order asked the two judges to submit explanations and fixed October 24 for the next hearing. However, lawyers of the two judges submitted two pleas on that day seeking one week's time and the High Court accepted their pleas. So, no hearing took place on that day.