Bangladesh court indicts first Hindu chief justice for graft

Dhaka, August 13

A Dhaka court on Thursday indicted Bangladesh’s first Hindu Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others for “embezzling” 40 million taka from a bank, a court official said. The indictment comes seven months after another Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against the 69-year-old, who lives in the US and was described as a “fugitive” by the anti-corruption commission (ACC) in its charge-sheet.

“The court today framed charges against SK Sinha and 10 others, beginning their trial in the Farmers Bank scandal,” said a prosecution lawyer in Dhaka. He said six of the accused in the case were former officials of the bank while among the rest includes a reported aide of Sinha. The prosecutor said only three of the accused faced the trial in person as the rest were “on the run to evade justice”. — PTI

Corruption charges

Ex-Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others are said to have embezzled 40 million taka from a bank. Currently, Sinha is in the US.