A Dhaka court on Thursday sent controversial Awami League (AL) lawmaker Golam Maula Ron to jail, rejecting his bail plea in connection with a case of attempt to murder, assault and vandalism. Rony had beaten up two television journalists at his office on Saturday. Dhaka metropolitan magistrate SM Ashiqur Rahman passed the order when police personnel of the Detective Branch produced Rony before the court in a case filed in connection with the assault on two TV journalists at his office at Meherba Plaza on Topkhana Road in the city on Saturday.
Though the defence lawyer submitted two separate petitions before the court seeking bail and proper medical treatment for his client, the court rejected the bail plea and ordered the jail authorities to provide proper medical treatment to Rony.
Defence counsel Kabir Hossein told the court that his client Rony was granted bail from the court on July 21, but on Wednesday another court rejected his bail plea following a petition by the complainant, which he claimed was not a right order by the court.
The counsel of the complainant, Shah Azijur Rahman, opposed bail for Rony. He said Rony should be arrested, after receiving the arrest warrant. Rahman claimed that the accused can be a barrier to a proper investigation if he gets bail and the investigative activities would be hampered, so he should be sent to jail so that a proper investigation can be conducted.
Defence lawyer Kabir Hossein told the media persons that this was not proper justice and added that they would go to the High Court.
Independent Television’s assistant manager Younus Ali, and Rony’s younger brother, Golam Jelani, were present in the court during the hearing. The lawmaker was not present in the courtroom as he was in the custody of the court of the chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM).
Golam Jelani told court reporters that no one can avoid the law and “so we will proceed as per law”.
Earlier in the day, personnel of the Detective Branch (DB) of the police took Rony to a CMM court from its Minto Road headquarters in the capital.
However, Abu Jafar, sub inspector of Shahbagh police station, who is also the investigation officer of the case filed against Rony, did not produce him before the court.
Detective Branch police arrested the lawmaker from a media house located at Bashundhara Residential area in the city.
Earlier on the day, a Dhaka court cancelled his bail and issued an arrest warrant against Rony in connection with the attempt-to-murder case.
Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan passed the order around 2:00pm in response to a bail cancellation petition filed by the plaintiff’s counsel.
Younus Ali, assistant manager of Independent Television, filed an “attempt-to-murder, vandalism and assault” case with Shahbagh police station against Rony and 20 to 25 unnamed people on Saturday night. Later on Monday, Younus filed a general diary with the same police station, alleging that Rony and his supporters threatened him, urging him to withdraw the case filed against the MP.
On Monday, metropolitan magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan ordered the investigation officer of the case to submit a report in this connection within 24 hours.
On Sunday, Awami League lawmaker Golam Maula Rony surrendered before the CMM court through his legal pleader Md Kabir Hossain, and sought bail.
Metropolitan magistrate Rezaul Karim granted ad-interim bail on a Tk. 5,000 bail bond untilAugust 21.
In his plea, the pleader of the accused said as Rony was a member of Parliament and a law-abiding person and since Parliament was in session, he was entitled to receive bail.
Reporter Imitaz Sony and cameraman Muhsin Mukul were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with bruises on their bodies. The victims said Rony had physically assaulted them with the help of his associates when they had gone to his office on Saturday afternoon. They said they went to his office on a tip that a Tk. 20-million bribe was going to change hands there.
The two broadcast journalists were allegedly kept confined inside Rony’s office for nearly two hours before members of law enforcement agencies and journalist leaders rescued them.
Sony and Mukul were working on a weekly crime show called ‘Talash’.
Rony was sent to Kaashimpur jail at Gazipur in the evening.
However, Rony who was sent to jail on Thursday made ‘unconditional apology’ to journalists.
In a statement Rony said “I offer apology to my friends in the media, who have been hurt and agitated over my conduct”.
On behalf of Ronny, his wife issued the statement to media.
-With The Independent input
