A court has framed charges against 39 people including Sanatani Jagaran Jote spokesperson and expelled ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in the controversial lawyer Saiful Islam Alif murder case in Chattogram.
Chittagong Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Md. Zahidul Haque gave the order on Monday (January 19) morning.
At that time, 23 remanded accused including Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari were produced in court. The other 16 accused in the case are still absconding.
The accused are Chandan Das Methar, Ripon Das, Rajiv Bhattacharya, Shuvo Kanti Das, Aman Das, Bunja, Ranab, Bidhan, Bikash, Ramit Prakash Das, Rumit Das, Nayan Das, Omkar Das, Vishal, Lala Das, Sameer, Sohel Das, Shiv Kumar, Biglal, Parash, Ganesh, Om Das, Poppy, Ajay, Devi Charan, Dev, Joy, Lala Methar, Durlav Das, Sumit Das, Sonu Das, Saku Das, Bhajan, Ashiq, Shahit, Shiva Das and Deep Das.
Plaintiff's lawyer and Assistant Public Prosecutor Md. Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury said, "This is a sensitive and sensational murder case, which is directly related to communal harmony and national security. The court framed the charges after reviewing the case file, charge sheet, CCTV footage, eyewitness statements, seized evidence, security and autopsy reports, forensic reports and the confessional statements given by the accused under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
He said that the accused Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari was the abettor and direct instigator of this murder. On his instructions and instigation, the other accused committed the murder in a gang. Therefore, charges were framed against Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari under Sections 302/109 of the Penal Code for murder and abetment and against the other accused under Sections 147 of the Penal Code for unlawful organized violence, 448 of trespass, 449 of trespass with intent to commit a serious crime, 302 of murder and 34 of common intention.
Informing about the next day of the case, he said, "Out of the 39 accused in the charge sheet, a lawyer was present in the court for Chinmoy Krishna Das and a separate lawyer for the 16 absconding accused. Lawyers will be appointed through Legal Aid on a later date for the 22 accused in jail. The next hearing of the case has been fixed for February 2.
It is worth noting that on November 26, 2024, lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was killed during a clash over the bail of Chinmoy Krishna Das in the Chattogram Court Building area. His father Jamal Uddin filed a murder case with the Kotwali Police Station in this incident. After new information was found in the subsequent investigation, the number of accused was increased and a charge sheet was filed in the court against a total of 39 people.
