Chinmoy Krishna Das' bail hearing deferred as 'no lawyer' showed up to defend him in court

Iskcon monk Chinmoy Krishna Das suffered a setback on Tuesday after lawyers refused to show up in a Bangladeshi court to represent him. His bail plea case has been deferred to next month.

Swatantra Gauranga Das, an associate of the monk at his Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote, claimed that no lawyer represented the Hindu leader due to threats from a “politically motivated lawyers’ group”.

The bail hearing at the Chattogram court has now been postponed to January 2.

Das was arrested last month on sedition charges for allegedly desecrating the Bangladeshi flag. One of his earlier bail petitions was rejected by a court which triggered massive unrest in Bangladesh.

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‘Lawyers not allowed to defend Das’

A statement by Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatani Jagran Jote said that lawyers were prohibited from appearing for Das’ defence at the court.

“No lawyer was given the opportunity to participate in the court on behalf of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari. Already, 70 of the lawyers who participated on behalf of Chinmoy Krishna Das have been made defendants in the case and others are being threatened in various ways,” the statement read.

There was heavy security in the Chattogram court area for the bail hearing. Das was not brought to the court for the hearing. A Chattogram Bar Association leader and other lawyers were seen holding a protest march on the court premises.

Lawyers attacked

In the past few days, lawyers trying to defend Das at the court have fallen victim to physical assault.

On Monday, Advocate Ramen Roy was “brutally” assaulted by miscreants, Iskcon Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das said.

Roy was reportedly attacked, his home was ransacked and his chamber was vandalised. The advocate remains in critical condition in the hospital.

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Iskcon calls for safety

Meanwhile, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has urged the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladeshi government to ensure the safety of lawyers willing to represent Chinmoy Das.

With inputs from agencies