The Appellate Division on Sunday stayed bail granted by the High Court earlier to suspended Dhaka ward councillor Md Irfan Salim, also a son of Awami League lawmaker for Dhaka-7 Haji Salim, in a case filed in connection with assaulting a Navy officer.
The vacation chamber judge Justice Obaidur Hassan stayed the bail after hearing appeal filed by the government challenging Irfan’s bail.
The order prevented Irfan’s release from the Dhaka central jail, said his lawyer Sayeed Ahmed Raza.
On March 18, the online bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Md Badruzzaman granted Irfan’s bail.
Navy Lieutenant Wasif Ahmed Khan on October 26, 2020 filed the case with the Dhanmondi police station against Irfan and his associates for assaulting him and his wife on October 25, 2020, after Irfan’s car had hit the officer’s motorbike near the Kalabagan crossing.
Irfan’s lawyer, told the court that the Navy officer was not hurt ‘grievously’ as per the medical report and the charge, brought against Irfan that he obstructed the defence officer from discharging his duty, would not be applicable as the officer was not on duty during the incident.
Raza told New Age that Irfan had faced a total of five cases relating to the assault of the couple, recovery of arms, liquors, walkie-talkies and Yaba tablets as the Rapid Action Battalion arrested him at his house on October 26, 2020.
Raza said that Irfan was earlier granted bail in three cases and the lower court acquitted him of charges in two other cases as investigators pressed no charges against him.
On October 27, 2020, the Dhanmondi police officer-in-charge filed a petition with the chief metropolitan magistrate of Dhaka for adding Section 307 of the Penal Code to the case against Irfan and his associates for attempt to kill Wasif and his wife by hitting his motorbike with the car and beating him inhumanly in front of his wife.
On October 28, 2020, Irfan was shown arrested in the case.
On February 8, 2021, the Dhanmondi police pressed charges against Irfan, his bodyguard, driver and another for assaulting the Navy officer and obstructing him from performing his official duty but dropped the charge of attempting to murder.
The case is now pending for trial with the metropolitan sessions judge’s court.
