The verdict in the case of 11 people including former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar (SK) Sinha on charges of loan fraud and money laundering will be announced today. Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-4 will pronounce the verdict.
Earlier, the verdict in the case was scheduled for October 5, but the verdict was postponed to October 21 as the judge was on leave due to illness. Later on that date (October 21), the concerned court informed that as the verdict was not ready, a new date has been fixed today, November 9.
After hearing the statements and cross-examination of 21 witnesses on behalf of the state in this case, the hearing on the arguments of the lawyers of both the parties ended on September 14.
SK Sinha resigned from the post of Chief Justice on November 11, 2017 due to a dispute with the government over the decision to repeal the 16th amendment to the constitution. He is currently in the United States. In October 2018, ACC officials said that Tk. 4 crore was embezzled from Farmers Bank (now Padma Bank) through fraudulent documents in the name of two businessmen Shahjahan and Niranjan and the embezzled money was deposited with Justice SK Sinha. On July 10, 2019, the ACC filed a case against SK Sinha and 10 others.
Other accused in the case are Mahbubul Haque Chishti, former chairman of Farmers Bank's audit committee, Gazi Salahuddin, senior executive vice president of Farmers Bank, AKM Shamim, former MD (managing director), Swapan Kumar Roy, former first vice president (FVP), vice president (VP) Lutful Haque, Gulshan Branch First Vice President (FVP) Safiuddin Askari, SK Sinha's former acquaintance Ranjit Chandra Saha, Ranjit's wife Santri Roy, Tangail's Md. Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha. The case was heard in the absence of SK Sinha, Safiuddin Askari, Ranjit Chandra Saha and Santri Roy as they were absconding.
Following the investigation, on December 9, 2019, the ACC submitted a charge sheet against 11 people, including SK Sinha. On 13 August last year, an order was issued to start taking evidence by forming charges against the accused.