A metropolitan magistrate court in Chattogram on Monday allowed the police to interrogate Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatan Jagran, at the jail gate in a case involving attacks on the police and vandalism at a mosque.
The case was filed on November 29 past year by Khane Alam, brother of slain lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, accusing unidentified individuals of assaulting lawyers, detonating explosives and causing property damage.
Metropolitan magistrate SM Alauddin on Monday morning gave the order allowing one-day interrogation of the Hindu monk, said assistant public prosecutor Md Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury.
He said that although Chinmoy Krishna was not initially named in the case, investigators reportedly found evidence linking him to the incident during the course of the probe. Authorities subsequently sought the court鈥檚 permission to officially show him arrested in the case, which the court granted.
On June 4, investigation officer of the case, Detective Branch assistant commissioner Mostafa Kamal, submitted a petition seeking permission to interrogate Chinmoy at the jail gate. After reviewing the petition, the court allowed the request and directed that the interrogation be carried out for one day. It also ordered submission of a report on the interrogation by June 22.
With this, in total five cases Chinmoy鈥檚 jail-gate interrogation has been allowed, in four of which he is facing sedition charges, murder charges over the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, charges of assault directed at law enforcers and vandalism.
Earlier, on May 27, the court allowed the police to interrogate Chinmoy at the jail gate in connection with violence on the court premises in November last year.
On May 26, the court also allowed the police to question Chinmoy in another case involving similar allegations of attacking the police and damaging vehicles.
On May 18, the court allowed the police to interrogate Chinmoy at the jail gate in two other cases鈥攐ne involving sedition charges and the other involving murder charges over the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif.
On May 6, the court allowed the police to show Chinmoy arrested in these four cases鈥攖hree filed by the police over the November 26 incident and one filed in connection with the lawyer鈥檚 killing.
On October 25, 2024, Chinmoy led a large gathering of the Hindu community in Chattogram. On October 31, 2024, a sedition case was filed against 19 people, including Chinmoy, on charges of desecrating the national flag.
On November 22, Chinmoy led another large rally in Rangpur following which he was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on November 25 in a sedition case.
A Chattogram court the following day rejected his bail petition, sending him to jail.
The court鈥檚 decision sparked clashes between his followers and the members of the law enforcement agencies on the court premises.
At one stage of the clash, lawyer Saiful was hacked to death outside the court premises.
Several cases were filed against Chinmoy and others following Saiful鈥檚 killing.
On April 30, the High Court granted bail to Chinmoy in the sedition case, but the Appellate Division later cancelled the bail.