DHAKA, Oct 21, 2021 (BSS) - A court here today deferred till November 9
the pronouncement of judgement 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.

     Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 passed the order
this morning. This is the second time the court has deferred the judgement in
the case. Earlier on October 5, the court deferred till today the
pronouncement of judgement.

     Acting judge Ali Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 had passed the
order as the regular judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam was on leave on that day.

     The 11 accused in the case are- former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar
Sinha, former chairman of the then Farmer's Bank's Audit Committee Md
Mahbubul Haque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, vice-president M Lutful Haque,
managing director AKM Shameem, senior executive vice-president Gazi
Salauddin, first vice-presidents of the then Farmer's Bank Swapan Kumar Roy
and Shafiuddin Askaree, bank clients Md Shahjahan and Niranjon Chandra Saha,
Niranjan's uncle Ranajit Chandra Saha and Ranajit's wife Santi Roy.

     Earlier on September 14, Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 had set October 5
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, Babul Chisty, M Lutful Haque, AKM
Shameem and 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,
Swapan Kumar Roy, 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.

     Of the 11 accused, Md Mahbubul Haque Chisty alias Babul Chisty is in
jail, while former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, Shafiuddin Askaree,
Ranajit Chandra Saha, Santi Roy are yet to be arrested. The remaining six
accused are on bail.

     According to the allegation, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan took the money on
loan from 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.