A Dhaka court has sentenced Partha Gopal Banik, suspended deputy inspector general (DIG-prison) of Sylhet division, to eight years imprisonment in a case filed on bribery and money laundering charges.
The Judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4, Sheikh Nazmul Alam pronounced the verdict on Sunday (January 9).
According to the verdict, the suspended senior jail official was awarded the jail sentence on bribery charges, while he was acquitted of money laundering charges.
Partha Gopal Banik was given five years in prison under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, and three years under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
The judge in the verdict said that the suspended DIG (prison) will serve the two sentences concurrently, meaning that he will have to stay imprisoned for a total of five years.
The court also fined Partha Gopal Banik Tk 50,000, in default, three months more rigorous imprisonment.
Earlier on December 27, the court fixed January 9 for the verdict, concluding the trial following closing arguments of the state and the defendants. Twelve people testified in court at different times in the case.
On September 19 last year, the court sent Partha Gopal Banik to jail in the case when he surrendered before the court.
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On June 17, Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 granted bail to Partha Gopal. Later, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) submitted a petition seeking cancellation of the bail order which was granted later.
On September 2, the High Court (HC) cancelled the unusual bail granted to Partha Gopal Banik. An HC bench had also directed Banik to surrender to the court by September 20.
On January 25 in 2021, the High Court dismissed a review appeal filed by Partha seeking exemption from the graft charges in a case filed after the recovery of Tk 80 lakh from his residence during a drive in 2019.
On July 28 in 2019, ACC seized Tk 80 lakh from his house in the city’s Dhanmondi area after interrogating him at the ACC headquarters over corruption.
He was then arrested. The next day, on July 29, the ACC filed a case against him.
Partha Gopal Banik during his arrest had said the car he was using and was being kept at the parking space owned by him, actually belonged to his friend. Of the money, he said, Tk 30 lakh was given to him by his mother-in-law and Tk 50 lakh was earned by him during his years in service.
The suspended police official had illegally amassed the amount abusing his power as a government employee, the ACC said in its charge sheet.