Tk 148cr graft case: MP Papul's wife, daughter asked to surrender by Dec 28

The High Court today directed lawmaker Shahid Islam Papul's wife Selina Islam MP and their daughter Wafa Islam to surrender to the lower court concerned by December 28 -- in connection with a corruption case involving Tk 148.41 crore.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel came up with the order after virtually hearing a petition filed by Selina Islam and Wafa Islam.

Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the HC bench on December 10 rejected a bail petition of Selina and Wafa, and ordered them to surrender to the Court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge in Dhaka in 10 days.

The accused went to the court on December 20 to surrender in line with the HC's December 10 directive, but the court did not accept their surrender as there was no mention of the word "vacation" before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court in the HC order, he said.

The word -- "vacation" -- needs to be mentioned in the order as the lower courts are on annual vacation at present.

Khurshid Alam Khan and the accused Selina and Wafa submitted a petition to the HC to include "vacation" in the order.

The HC bench today corrected the word in the order and asked the accused to surrender to the vacation court of metropolitan sessions judge in Dhaka by December 28, he added.

Lawyers Abdul Baset Majumdar and Sayed Ahmed Raza appeared for the petitioners during virtual hearing on the issue. 

The ACC filed the case with its integrated district office in Dhaka on November 11 against Shahid Islam Papul, who is now detained in Kuwait, his sister-in-law Jesmin Prodhan, wife Selina and daughter Wafa for laundering Tk 148.41 crore.