The Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has stayed for six weeks a High Court order that halted the trial proceedings of a narcotics case filed against film actress Shamsunnahar Smriti, popularly known by her screen name Pori Moni.
Justice Obaidul Hassan, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, passed the order on Tuesday after hearing a petition filed by the state against the High Court order.
Now there is no bar for the trial court concerned to continue the proceedings of the case following the Chamber Judge’s order, said Deputy Attorney General Biswajit Debnath who appeared in the hearing for the state.
The High Court on February 1 this year stayed the trial proceedings of the case filed against Pori Moni for three months. The court also issued a rule asking the state to explain in four weeks as to why the proceedings of the case against Pori Moni should not be quashed.
The High Court bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Salim passed the order after hearing on a petition filed by Pori Moni for scrapping the trial proceedings of the narcotics case against her.
The state on Monday filed a petition with the Appellate Division against the High Court order.
Lawyers ZI Khan Panna, Syeda Nasrin and Md Shahinuzzaman appeared in the hearing for Pori Moni, while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Biswajit Debnath represented the state during the hearing of the petition.
A Dhaka Court on January 5 this year framed a charge against three accused including Pori Moni in the case.
Kazi Golam Mostafa, an Inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Investigation Officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka on October 4 last year.
On August 4 last year, members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained Pori Moni from her house. RAB claimed that they had seized a huge quantity of narcotics from there. Later RAB filed a case against her under the Narcotics Control Act.
She was placed on remand for seven days by three consecutive court orders which created controversy across the country. Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a leading rights organization, termed these steps as totally barbaric, inhuman, cruel and in violation of human rights.
After the interference of the High Court, Pori Moni got bail on August 31 in 2021 and she was released from the Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur.
