Bangladesh Court Drama: Judge Demands Local Lawyer for ISKCON Leader Chinmay Krishna Das's Bail Hearing

In the bail plea for ISKCON leader Chinmay Krishna Das, the Bangladesh court demanded the inclusion of a local lawyer, delaying the hearing. Senior advocate Rabindra Ghosh submitted the power of attorney after initial rejection and appointed a local lawyer.

By Rahul Kumar Shukla Dec 13, 2024, 18:30 IST

In a controversial turn of events, the Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Court in Bangladesh refused interim bail to ISKCON leader Chinmay Krishna Das due to the lack of proper legal representation. On December 11, 2024, the court dismissed the plea submitted by senior High Court advocate Rabindra Ghosh, stating that he lacked a power of attorney (wakalatnama) to represent Chinmay.

Court's Decision and Next Steps

Then again, Judge Mohammad Saiful Islam directed Ghosh to get in local lawyer from Chittagong to assist. It so happened that following his earlier instruction, local advocate Sumit Acharya got involved into the case from now. The court had delayed hearing its earlier date as further time to review.

Speaking on December 11, Ghosh said that the court had agreed to hear the case, and the atmosphere in the court had become much better compared to the earlier hearing. However, he emphasized the security issues and pointed out that most lawyers were hesitant to participate in the case due to fear.

Bias Allegations and Legal Issues

The case is gaining attention because of procedural delay and perceived lack of fair hearing in the case. Ghosh was hopeful about a positive result as the trial has gained complexity while talking to TOI in the presence of police protection. Meanwhile, Chinmay has received the power of attorney from jail which will let the case move further ahead.