The High Court has summoned the investigating officer of the narcotics case filed against Dhallywood actor Pori Moni for disregarding its directives and remanding her repeatedly.
The officer has been ordered to be present in court along with the case dockets on September 15 to explain her second and third remands.
The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice K M Zahid Sarwar passed the order on Thursday.
Advocate ZI Khan Panna, Md Mojibur Rahman, Syeda Nasrin and Md Shahinuzzaman stood for Pori Moni while Deputy Attorney General Abu Yahya Dulal and Assistant Attorney General Mizanur Rahman represented the state.
HC slams lower courts
On Wednesday, the same High Court bench condemned lower courts for the questionable practice of approving remand prayers without following the guidelines.
“A civilized society cannot run like this,” the bench observed.
During the hearing, Pori Moni’s counsel said that neither Section 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure nor the Appellate Division’s guidelines were followed during the remand order against her.
Meanwhile, Advocate ZI Khan Panna had requested the High Court to issue an order to ensure that lower courts followed the remand guidelines.
On Thursday, the government sent a top official of the Criminal Investigation Department on retirement in public interest.
CID’s Dhaka Metro Division Additional Deputy Inspector General Sheikh Omar Faruque was the supervising officer of the cases filed against actor Pori Moni, models Piasha and Mou, and politician Helena Jahangir.
Pori Moni’s bail controversy
The controversy surrounding Pori Moni’s bail began when the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court (CMM) rejected her bail application on August 19.
Later, when she filed a bail plea with the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, it fixed September 13 for a hearing on the plea.
Pori Moni’s lawyer then challenged the validity of the order on August 22 and appealed for an interim bail to the High Court on August 25.
On August 26, the High Court issued a rule asking why a speedy hearing would not be held on the bail application relating to the drugs case filed against Pori Moni, setting Wednesday for the next hearing.
Pori Moni, whose real name is Shamsunnahar Smriti, was arrested on August 4 when the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members raided her Banani home and seized bottles of liquor, yaba pills and LSD blots.
RAB filed the drugs case against Pori Moni and her aide Dipu with Banani police on August 6.
She was taken on remand on three different occasions for a total of seven days.
On Tuesday, a Dhaka court granted her bail upon a bond of Tk50,000. She was released from the Women’s Central Jail in Kashimpur, Gazipur on Wednesday.
