New Delhi [India], January 2 : Following the denial of bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, former ISKCON leader, by a Chattogram court, former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Veena Sikri expressed deep disappointment, calling it a "travesty of justice."
Sikri also highlighted the lack of evidence supporting the sedition charges against Chinmoy.
While speaking with ANI, Sikri said, "Well, I think it's very sad. It's tragic. It's a travesty of justice that Chinmoy Krishna Das had been once again denied bail. And you know, even the reason for his arrest, they've charged him with sedition, but there's no evidence that has been given. They are talking about some rally on October 25, but there's no evidence to show... A case was filed in the Chattogram court and Chinmoy Das was arrested at Dhaka Airport and then taken to Chattogram. At that time, bail was denied which was very unusual and there was a huge clash between the lawyers and the supporters in the court and a lawyer died in that."
She added, "...Professor Muhammad Yunus didn't even talk about the case of Chinmoy Das. He just spoke about a lawyer who had died and that was all he was expressing his concern about. So it is very tragic and very unfortunate and against all the canons of national justice, all the canons of humanitarian aspects. What is happening in Bangladesh today with the minorities is really beyond belief..."
Sikri also criticised the legal proceedings, noting the absence of proper representation during earlier hearings and questioning the fairness of the judicial system in handling cases involving minorities in Bangladesh.
She further said, "When the bail hearing came for the first time, there was no lawyer from the side of Chinmoy Krishna, and so the hearing was adjourned and postponed January 2, but under any normal justice system and as provided for in the law system in Bangladesh and India, and many other countries, if Chinmoy Krishna doesn't have a lawyer of his own, the state has to provide a lawyer. The hearing must go on, but they didn't provide. Then today, I believe some 11 Supreme Court lawyers came to defend him, but again bail has been denied and so far, we have no reason why bail has been denied..."
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs expert Robinder Sachdeva criticised the rejection of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari's bail plea, and said that the Bangladeshi judiciary may be acting under governmental influence or biased assumptions about Hindu minorities. He argued that the charges against Chinmoy are not severe and he deserves bail, adding that the judiciary's actions reflect an attempt to establish Islam as the "primary religion and culture" in the country.
"It seems like the Bangladesh judiciary is systematically working on the instructions of the government or the assumptions that elements of Hindu minorities and cases against them have to be dealt with in a certain way. The charges against Chinmoy are not serious. He deserves bail... It seems that the judiciary is adhering to the ideologies of a new Bangladesh where they want to make Islam the primary religion, primary culture in the country," Sachdeva told ANI.
Earlier in the day, the bail request was turned down by Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam after about 30 minutes of hearing both parties' arguments, according to Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizur Haque Bhuiyan.
Eleven Supreme Court lawyers were set to participate in the bail hearing of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
Earlier on December 3, 2024, Chittagong court had fixed January 2 for bail hearing as the prosecution submitted a time petition and there was no lawyer to represent Chinmoy.
The unrest in Bangladesh stems from the sedition charges filed against Chinmoy Krishna Das for allegedly raising a saffron flag above Bangladesh's national flag in Chittagong on October 25. His arrest on November 25 sparked protests, culminating in violent clashes between his followers and law enforcement outside the Chattogram Court Building on November 27, which resulted in the death of a lawyer.
The situation worsened following additional arrests. According to ISKCON Kolkata, two monks, Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari, were detained on November 29 after visiting Chinmoy Krishna Das in custody. The organisation's Vice President, Radha Raman, also claimed that rioters vandalised an ISKCON centre in Bangladesh during the unrest.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had also voiced concern over escalating violence and extremist rhetoric in Bangladesh, emphasising that it has consistently raised the issue of targeted attacks on minorities with Dhaka.
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