A Bangladesh court rejected on Thursday the bail plea of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu monk and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote, who is also associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), while hearing the case under tight security, local media reported.
Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam rejected the bail plea after hearing arguments for around 30 minutes from the both sides. Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan told this to The Daily Star.
As many as 11 lawyers of the apex court, including Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, defended the ISKCON priest.
After the hearing, Chinmoy's lawyer, Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, said that they would appeal to the High Court for bail.
Das was arrested on November 25 from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on charges of sedition. She has been behind bars as the calls for justice are growing.
The charges, filed against Das and 18 others, were linked to the hoisting of a saffron flag above the country's official flag during a protest rally on October 25 in Chattogram's Laldighi Maidan.
The bail petition supported by 20 advocates from Dhaka and Chittagong, highlighted false and fabricated case allegations. Advocates said that Das, with health issues including diabetes and respiratory problems, is being wrongfully detained. His primary lawyer, Ravindra Ghosh, was previously forbidden from filing an anticipatory bail petition.
Earlier on December 11, a Bangladesh court rejected Das' initial bail plea, citing procedural lapses. Reports indicate that the absence of a valid power of attorney and lawyer representation led to the rejection.
The case took another turn when Subhashish Sharma, one of Das' lawyers, missed a December 3 hearing due to security concerns.
Prosecutor Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan stated that the absence of proper documentation and legal representation hindered earlier proceedings.
India has urged for a fair and transparent trial, stressing that the legal rights of all parties involved should be respected.
Lawyers and advocates are optimistic that the court will take into account the deteriorating health of the monk and the procedural anomalies that have marred the case thus far.
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