Chinmoy Das gets no legal aid, ISKCON urges Bangladesh govt to ensure safety of lawyers
ISKCON claimed that Chinmoy Das’ lawyer Ramen Roy was attacked by a group of Islamists and is in the ICU, and no lawyer has come forward to represent Das
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Kolkata has appealed to the Bangladesh government to ensure the safety of lawyers willing to represent Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in an ongoing case, following a brutal attack on his lawyer.
ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das on Monday (December 2) claimed that Ramen Roy, who was defending Chinmoy Krishna Das, was attacked by a group of Islamists at his home in Bangladesh.
According to Das, no new lawyer has come forward to represent Chinmoy Krishna Das following the attack on Roy, citing safety concerns.
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"No new lawyer has come up to fight his case till now. Those who want to fight the case are afraid that they might face the same consequences as Ramen Roy. We would request the Bangladesh government to provide the lawyers who are willing to fight the case with adequate safety and security," he said.
"It must be ensured that such targeted attacks are dealt with sternly. The situation is deeply alarming and highlights the hostile environment faced by those supporting justice for minorities in Bangladesh," he added.
According to Radharamn Das, Roy's only "fault" was defending Chinmoy Krishna Das in court, and a group of Islamists ransacked his home.
Lawyer critically injured: ISKCON
The attack left Roy critically injured, and he is currently in the ICU, fighting for his life, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson claimed.
"Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Das in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life. #SaveBangladeshiHindus #FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu," he posted on X along with a picture of Roy in ICU on Monday night.
Chinmoy Krishna Das, who served as a spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport last week en route to Chattogram to attend a rally.
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He was denied bail and sent to jail by a court in the neighbouring country.
Next bail hearing after a month
On Tuesday (December 3), during the bail hearing for Chinmoy Krishna Das in a court in Chattogram, no lawyer appeared for him. The court fixed the next date of bail hearing on January 2, 2025.
The Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote has alleged that about 70 Hindu lawyers were falsely sued in a case to prevent their participation in a bail hearing for their spokesperson Chinmoy Krishna Das, according to a report by the Bangladeshi daily The Business Standard.
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The minority coalition claimed that the lawyers were sued in a case filed under the Explosives Act with the Kotwali Police Station in Chattogram, to “sabotage their ability to advocate for Chinmoy Das”.
As a result, Chinmoy Das will have to spend a month in jail until the next bail hearing.
(With agency inputs)