A Shillong court has fixed 29 May as the date for issuing certain decision on the bail petition by BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed, now in a hospital under police custody.
The court of magistrate L Kharsingh on Friday kept pending any rule on Salahuddin’s bail plea as the matter required detailed hearing, sources in the Indian state of Meghalaya said.
Lawyer SP Mahanetma sought bail for Salahuddin as his family wants to take him to a third country, possibly Singapore, for better treatment.
Salahuddin Ahmed was found in Shillong on 11 May, two months after his disappearance from Dhaka’s Uttara area. He may face charges of intrusion into Indian territory without valid documents.
Doctors at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) hospital are verifying the medical reports of Salahuddin. He might be released from the hospital next week as his condition was stable.
Acting superintendent of Neigrihms hospital Bhaskar Bargain told Prothom Alo that the reports of Salahuddin were verified where they found he is having no complications other than cardiac problem and urine infection. He has to stay in the hospital under observation a few more days.
About his possible release, Bhaskar Bargain said it is still not certain that Salahuddin will be released next week.
According to Salahuddin’s bail petition, the police denied filing take a case after his family members had gone to lodge complaint of abduction following his disappearance.
Salahuddin’s family members also went to the High Court where the court ordered the police to submit a report every month to the home ministry over Salahuddin’s investigations.
During the bail hearing Salahuddin’s lawyer SP Mahanetma said his client is seriously ill and urgently needs to be taken to a foreign country for better treatment.
Salahuddin’s passport and other documents related to his foreign tours were presented in the court.
Public prosecutor Aich Jha protested the bail plea and said Salahuddin is still under treatment and the police is unable to investigate his case.
Director of NEIGRIHMS hospital AJ Ahengar said the police could not interrogate Salahuddin as he is still under treatment and doctors also suggested not to interrogate him until he is well.
Sources in the police superintendant’s office of Shillong said the police wanted to interrogate the BNP leader on last Thursday in presence of doctors. The police also sent a letter to the hospital authority regarding the matter but, the doctors rejected it and said the interrogation of Slaahuddin might take place after he is completely well.
The BNP joint secretary general was admitted to Civil Hospital when he was found in Shillong on 11 May. He was diagnosed with various diseases, including nephrolithiasis (kidney stone) disease.
Salahuddin was shifted to Neigrihms hospital for better treatment on 20 May.
Source: Prothom Alo
