Ashish Rai bail denied in murder case

A Dhaka court on Sunday scrapped a plea of Ashish Rai Choudhury alias Bottle Chowdhury seeking bail in a case filed against him over the murder of film actor Sohel Chowdhury in December 1998.

As Ashish Rai was produced before the court on the day, his lawyer pleaded for bail. Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 Judge Zakir Hossain passed the order denying the plea after a hearing was completed.

Sunday was fixed for recording the deposition of the witnesses. As no witness could be present, the court fixed April 25 for testimony, reports BSS.

Earlier on April 10, Choudhury was denied bail in another case filed against him under the Narcotics Control Act.

Renowned actor Sohel Chowdhury was shot dead in the city's Banani area on December 18 in 1998. The next day, the victim's brother Touhidul Islam filed a case with Gulshan Police Station accusing several people.

Police on July 30, 1999, filed a chargesheet against nine and Dhaka third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court on October 30, 2001, framed charges in the case.

The other eight accused are- Adnan Siddiqui, Bunty Islam, Aziz Mohammad 'Bhai', Tareq Saeed Mamun, Selim Khan, Harun-ur Rashid Liton, Farooq Abbasi and Sanjidul Islam Emon.

Later, the case was transferred to Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 for speedy disposal.

Following a petition of an accused in the case, the High Court in 2003 stayed the proceedings of the trial. On February 27, 2022, the stay on the case proceedings was withdrawn after 19 years.