SC upholds stay on bail for suspended Chattogram jailer in money laundering case

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld its chamber judge's order that stayed the High Court bail to Sohel Rana Biswas, suspended jailer of Chattogram Central Jail, in a money laundering case.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order on Sunday following a leave-to-appeal petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenging the HC order of bail.

The apex court extended the order issued by its chamber judge on September 29 last year staying the HC bail for Sohel Rana Biswas, and therefore, he cannot be released from jail, ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.   

The HC on September 20 last year granted ad-interim bail for six months to Sohel Rana in a money laundering case and also issued a rule asking the ACC and the state to explain why Sohel Rana should not be granted regular bail in the case.

On October 27, 2018, law enforcers arrested Sohel Rana from Kishoreganj with over Tk 44 lakh in cash, fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) worth Tk 2.5 crore and phensedyl.

Later, police filed two separate cases with Bhairab Railway Police Station against Sohel Rana on charges of money laundering and possessing drugs under the Narcotics Control Act.