Ctg cocaine haul case: SC stays Nur’s bail order

The Supreme Court today extended its stay on a High Court order that granted bail to Khan Jahan Ali Ltd's Chairman Nur Mohammad in the case filed over seizure of liquid cocaine from a container carrying sun-flower oil at Chittagong port in May last year.

The apex court also asked the HC to hear and dispose of its rule over granting regular bail to Nur in the case in next four weeks.

Nur Mohammad cannot get released from jail following the SC order until the HC disposes of the rule, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told The Daily Star.

READ MORE: Court sends Nur to two-day remand

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order following a government petition seeking stay on the HC order.

The customs intelligence detected cocaine as a liquid substance inside a barrel that weighed 185 kg, which was imported from Bolivia along with 106 other barrels on May 12 last year. The other barrels reportedly carried sunflower oils.

READ MORE: Cocaine found in imported barrel at Ctg port

A case was filed with Bandar Police Station on June 27 that year in connection with the seizer.

Following a bail petition filed by accused Nur Mohammad, the HC on June 16 this year granted ad-interim bail to him in the case for six months and issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why he should not be granted regular bail in the case.

The government then filed a petition with the SC seeking stay on the HC order.     

On June 20, SC chamber judge stayed the HC order and sent the stay petition to the full bench of the apex court for its hearing.