Three petitions filed by Supreme Court lawyer Rabindra Ghosh, representing expelled ISKCON leader Chanmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, were rejected by the Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court on Wednesday (11 December).
The petitions were dismissed on the grounds that they lacked a valid wakalatnama (power of attorney).
The ruling came after both parties presented their arguments before Judge Saiful Islam, who concluded that the petitions were not maintainable due to the absence of a proper power of attorney from a local lawyer.
The decision was confirmed by Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) Advocate Mohammad Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury, who was present at the court.
Advocate Chowdhury explained that lawyer Rabindra Ghosh, who had travelled from Dhaka, had submitted three applications requesting an advance hearing date, the presentation of documents, and the postponement of bail hearings.
However, since there was no local lawyer from Chattogram Bar to represent the defendant and no written permission from the lawyer who filed the case, the court ruled that the petitions could not be accepted.
"The Supreme Court lawyer sought to expedite the hearing and present documents, but he lacked the legal right to do so in the absence of a wakalatnama or written authorisation from the filing lawyer," said Advocate Kafil Uddin, counsel for the prosecution, speaking to reporters outside the court after the hearing.
"The court ruled that a local lawyer must provide the wakalatnama or grant explicit permission for the lawyer from Dhaka to represent the case."
The court’s decision came after additional security measures were observed around the court premises, as news broke of the lawyer's arrival from Dhaka.
Law enforcement personnel were stationed around the courthouse, and security was heightened compared to usual.
The legal proceedings concerning Chanmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari began following a sedition case filed on 31 October against him and 19 others at Kotwali Police Station.
On 25 November, as he was returning to Chattogram, the expelled ISKCON leader was arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of police at Shahjalal International Airport.
The following day, he was transferred to Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP). Upon his appearance before the court, his bail request was denied.
Further developments in the case took place on 3 December, when a hearing scheduled for Chanmoy Krishna's bail was adjourned due to his lack of legal representation. The case will now be heard again on 2 January 2025.
