HC okays bail for Coco in extortion case

Dhaka, Dec 2 (bdprem) – The High Court Monday granted bail to Arafat Rahman Coco, younger son of detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia, in a case involving charges of corruption. Your Ad Here The court also stayed the case proceedings and asked the government to explain in eight weeks why the case under emergency powers rules was not illegal. The home secretary, the additional home secretary (law-1), the inspector general of police, the superintendent of police of Dhaka and the chief metropolitan magistrate for Dhaka have been asked to give the explanation by the deadline. A two-member panel of justice Shah Abu Nayeen Mominur Rahman and justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury made the rule responding to a writ petition by Coco. On May 16, Abu Ahmed Jayedan Rabbi, a business partner of Coco, filed the case, accusing Coco of extorting Tk 1.2 crore from him. Coco's brothers-in law Mostaquim Reza and Montaquin Reza were also accused in the case. Rabbi said the accused had taken the amount from him in installments. Authorities took the case under the emergency powers rules on May 25. Coco was arrested on Sept 3 along with his mother at their cantonment home. They were later sent to jail, pending trial.