Ex-ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari was shown arrested by a court today in the murder case of Advocate Saiful Islam Alif, who was hacked to death outside the court premises on November 7 last year.
Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate SM Alauddin passed the order following an application from the investigation officer seeking to show Chinmoy arrested in the case, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Prosecution) Mafiz Uddin told the Daily Sun.
The hearing was held virtually around 9:30am due to security concerns.
Confirming the development, Assistant Public Prosecutor Advocate Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury said, “The investigating officer filed the petition after uncovering Chinmoy’s involvement in the murder during the course of the investigation.”
Chinmoy is currently in jail in connection with a sedition case filed with Kotwali Police Station over alleged desecration of the national flag during a political rally.
On November 26, a Chattogram court sent Chinmoy to jail after rejecting his bail plea in the sedition case. Following the order, his supporters staged a protest, blocking the police prison van.
Police charged with batons to disperse the demonstrators, triggering a violent clash in the court area.
During the unrest, Advocate Alif was beaten and hacked to death amid a triangular clash involving Chinmoy’s supporters, police, and a group of lawyers.
In connection with the incident, police filed three separate cases—on charges of attacking police, vandalism, and obstructing law enforcement duties—naming 79 individuals and accusing around 1,400 unidentified others.
Alif’s father later filed the murder case against 31 individuals, while his brother, Khan-e-Alam, filed another case with Kotwali Police Station, naming 115 accused including 70 lawyers, over vandalism.
Another person, Mohammad Ullah Chowdhury, filed a separate case accusing 69 individuals of attacking him during the clashes outside the court building.
To date, police have arrested 40 individuals in connection with the various cases. Of them, 11—mostly cleaners by profession—were held for their alleged involvement in the lawyer’s murder, based on CCTV footage analysis.
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