'No bar to probe allegation against ex-judge'

The High Court has cleared the way for investigation into corruption allegation against former Supreme Court's Appellate Division Justice Md Zainul Abedin.

The court also noted the letter, issued by the office of the Appellate Division, as a mere official communication made under administrative area.

The HC also said there is no way to consider the letter as opinion of SC and no one is immune from criminal prosecution.

An HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sahidul Karim came up the observations disposing of a rule on Tuesday.

The rule was issued seeking explanation as to why the Supreme Court administration's letter to stop probe into the graft allegation against the former Appellate Division judge should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench said that the administrative letter had impaired as well as tarnished the image and dignity of the highest court of the country in the estimation of the public at large."

It also said, "The letter though tends to give a massage that a retired judge of the SC is immune from criminal prosecution but in fact no one is immune as such except the honourable President and that too during his term of office."

In its observations, the court said, "The impugned letter is amenable to judicial review as it was issued by the office of the Appellate Division under its administrative capacity and the rule is, therefore, quite maintainable."

It further said, "In issuing the letter, the relevant authority has taken into consideration some extraneous and irrelevant circumstances which have rendered the bona fides of the said authority in question."

According to UNB, the HC bench termed the Anti-Corruption Commission's delay in investigation against Zainul Abedin as not satisfactory as it failed to complete the inquiry process in the last seven years.

It also asked the ACC or the authority to exercise extra cautious and vigilant while conducting inquiry against an SC retired judge of keeping in view the dignity and prestige of the judiciary.

On October 31, the High Court concluded the hearing on the rule and kept the order as curia advisari vult (CAV).

Earlier on October 9, the High Court issued the rule after Supreme Court lawyer M Badiuzzaman Tafadar brought the matter to the court's notice.

The SC Registrar General, Appellate Division Additional Registrar Arunava Chakraborty, the ACC Chairman and Justice Zainul Abedin had been asked to reply to the rule within 10 days.

The ACC in July, 2010 sent a notice to Justice Zainul Abedin asking him to submit his wealth statement to the national anti-graft body.

On March 2 last, the ACC in a letter sought necessary papers from the Supreme Court to start investigation into the graft allegation against the former judge.

In reply, the Supreme Court sent a letter to the ACC on April 28 saying it would not be proper for the ACC to take any kind of action against a former judge. The letter was signed by Arunava Chakraborty.