HC stays trial proceedings of Ctg cocaine haul case

The High Court today stayed the trial proceedings of a case filed over seizure of liquid cocaine from a container carrying sunflower oil at Chittagong port in May, 2015.

It also issued a rule asking the government to explain why the trial proceedings of the case should not be scrapped. 

The HC bench of Justice Md Miftah Uddin Choudhury and Justice ANM Bashir Ullah came up with the order and rule after hearing a petition filed by Khan Jahan Ali Ltd's Chairman Nur Mohammad, who is an accused in the case, seeking cancellation of the trial proceedings.

The HC stayed the trial proceedings of the case on the ground that the Rapid Action Battalion started investigation of the case before it got permission from the home ministry for investigation, Deputy Attorney General Shaikh AKM Moniruzzaman Kabir told The Daily Star.

He, however, said the government will move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court seeking stay on the HC order.

Advocate Zainul Abedin appeared for Nur Mohammad, who has earlier got bail from the HC in the case.

The customs intelligence detected the cocaine inside a barrel that weighed 185 kg, which was imported from Bolivia along with 106 other barrels on May 12, 2015.

The other barrels reportedly carried sunflower oil.

A case was filed with Bandar Police Station on June 27 that year in connection with the seizure.