After two and a half years, PK Halder has walked away from jail.
The prime accused in fraud and money laundering case in Bangladesh was released from Kolkata's Alipore Presidency Correctional Home on Tuesday evening, at approximately 6:45pm local time.
Upon his release, PK Halder briefly stated: "I will not speak now. I will consult my lawyer and provide details later."
He then left the prison premises in a white private car, without disclosing his destination to the journalists present.
Last Friday, the Kolkata Sessions Court granted bail to PK Halder under certain conditions, requiring a personal bond of one million Rupee.
On Monday, the bond documents were submitted to the court and after the necessary clearance was sent to the Presidency Correctional Home, Halder was released on Tuesday evening.
Alongside PK Halder, two of his associates, Swapan Mistry alias Swapan Mitra and Uttam Mistry alias Uttam Mitra, were also granted bail.
However, due to complications with documents and bond-related formalities, Swapan Mistry remained in custody.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 9.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh began an investigation into allegations of financial irregularities involving billions of taka against PK Halder in 2019.
At the time, it was widely believed that he had fled to Canada.
However, on May 13, 2022, news surfaced that India's Enforcement Directorate (ED), under the Ministry of Finance, had launched a raid in West Bengal to track down PK Halder and his associates over their undisclosed wealth.
The following day, his arrest was confirmed, leading to his imprisonment in West Bengal.
PK Halder, the former Managing Director of NRB Global Bank, is accused of misappropriating billions of taka through various financial institutions registered under false names.
In Bangladesh, he faces 34 cases related to financial fraud.
On October 8 last year, a court of Dhaka sentenced him to 22 years in prison for illegal wealth accumulation and money laundering.
