Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Saiful Islam instructed Rabindra Ghosh, a senior lawyer of the High Court, to enlist the assistance of a local lawyer to represent former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in court proceedings.
Following the directive, Rabindra Ghosh engaged local lawyer Sumit Acharya to assist in conducting the hearing.
The development comes a day after the judge had rejected an anticipatory bail petition for Chinmoy.
On that occasion, Ghosh’s application was dismissed as he lacked the required Vakalatnama, or power of attorney, to represent Chinmoy in court.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said, "The court today has accepted that it will hear my case. I have come here to assist Chinmoy's lawyers. They are scared to come due to security reasons. We are hopeful that something good will happen. The environment [at the court] today is much better than yesterday."
Ghosh also explained the steps taken to address the court's concerns, stating, "Yesterday, the court did not hear me because I did not have the Vakalatnama and because of other lawyers. I have brought the Vakalatnama from Chinmoy from the prison and submitted it. The [court] has accepted the matter of advancing the date of the bail hearing, he will hear me, and has told me to take a local lawyer with me."
The court is scheduled to reconvene at 2:30 pm to proceed with the hearing.
Rabindra Ghosh, who was accompanied by local lawyer Sumit Acharya, was provided with security from multiple police teams, given the sensitive nature of the case and the prevailing concerns for safety.
This marks a significant step forward in the legal process for Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, whose case has drawn considerable attention.