Eighteen accused in the charge-sheet for the murder of Chittagong court lawyer Saiful Islam Alif have been asked to appear before the court within 30 days.
A public notice was recently published, stating that the trial will proceed in their absence if they fail to surrender.
The absconding accused named in the charge-sheet are: Shubh Kanti Das, 24, Omkar Das, 20, Vishal, 20, Lala alias Lal Das, 19, Biglal alias Bikral Das, 20, Parash, 22, Ganesh alias Shri Ganej, 19, Poppy alias Joydev Das, 20, Dev, 25, Joy, 30, Lala alias Lala Das Methar, 40, Suk Das, 37, Bhajan alias Bhajan Das, 37, Ashiq, 34, Shahit, 30, Shiva Das, 30, Dwip Das, 29, and Sukanta Dutta, 30.
On November 26, 2024, after the bail petition of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari — expelled from ISKCON and spokesperson of Sammilit Sanatani Jagran Jote — was rejected in a sedition case, his followers began protesting on the Chittagong court premises.
During the unrest, a group of Chinmoy’s followers allegedly beat and hacked lawyer Saiful Islam Alif to death on a road near the court.
Three days later, on November 29, Alif’s father Jamal Uddin filed a murder case with Kotwali police station, naming 31 individuals and 15–16 unidentified attackers.
Following investigation, police submitted a charge sheet on July 1, naming 39 individuals. On August 25, after a hearing at the court of Chittagong’s Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate SM Alauddin, the charge sheet was accepted.
The 39 accused include: Chinmoy Das, Chandan Das Methor, Ripon Das, Rajiv Bhattacharya, Shuvo Kanti Das, Aman Das, Bunja, Ranab, Bidhan, Vikas, Ramit Prakash Das, Rumit Das, Nayan Das, Omkar Das, Vishal, Lala Das, Sameer, Sohel Das, Shiv Kumar, Biglal, Parash, Ganesh, Om Das, Poppy, Ajay, Devi Charan, Dev, Joy, Lala Methor, Durlav Das, Sumit Das, Sonu Das, Saku Das, Bhajan, Ashiq, Shahit, Shiva Das, Sukanta Dutta and Dwip Das.
Among them, Chandan Das, Ripon Das, and Rajiv Bhattacharya have given confessional statements, stating that Ripon struck Alif twice on the neck with a hammer, while others beat him with sticks, batons, and bricks.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Md Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury said 21 accused are currently in jail, while 18 remain absconding.
He added that once the notice period ends, the case will be transferred from the Metropolitan Magistrate Court to the Sessions Judge Court for trial.
Jamal Uddin, father of the slain lawyer, said: “I want justice for my son’s murder. Many accused are still not arrested. I want their immediate arrest.”
On October 31 last year, a sedition case was filed against Chinmoy Krishna Das and 18 others for allegedly insulting the national flag. Chinmoy was arrested in Dhaka on November 25 and brought to the Chittagong court the next day.
After his bail was rejected, his followers blocked the prison van for hours. Police later dispersed them with sound grenades. During the ensuing chaos on the court premises, lawyer Alif was separated from the crowd and brutally killed on the Rangam Convention Hall Road under Kotwali police station.
