Former Bangladesh chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha is in the spotlight once again after accusing in his new book that the government and the military spy agency orchestrated his forced resignation.
The claims come nearly a year after he stepped down last year before leaving the country.
Soon after his resignation, a series of charges, including graft and money laundering appeared against him.
According to sources, Sinha allegedly abused his position as a top court judge over allocations of land plots.
In 2003, he was allotted a plot in the Uttara residential area. There are allegations that he has used his office to change the plot to a better location beyond official procedures.
The original plot allotted to him was nearly 5 decimals, but the new one measured at over 8 decimals and Sinha is said to have not paid for the extra to the city development authority RAJUK.
In March 2017, the Supreme Court ordered the government to return Tk 6.15 billion to 11 companies, who wanted back the amount 'confiscated' from them during the military-installed caretaker administration.
Sinha, who was then the chief justice, allegedly took Tk 600 million as bribe for a verdict in favour of the petitioners.
According to sources, Sinha allegedly siphoned off Tk 31.78 million, which was acquired beyond his known income sources, to bank accounts of his daughters in Canada and Australia.
People familiar with the investigation said that Bangladesh-based businessman Aniruddha Roy, Bangladeshi expatriate in Singapore Ranjit and Canada-based Bangladeshi immigration lawyer Sudhir Saha helped in acquiring and siphoning off the funds.
The former chief justice also stands accused of obstructing a graft investigation against a retired top court judge.
He had written to the Anti-Corruption Commission to not probe retired Appellate Division judge Zainul Abedin on charges of gross misconduct.
While holding the office of the chief justice, Sinha, at a seminar in Japan allegedly said democracy will be restored in Bangladesh.
He allegedly planned to scrap the validity of 153 MPs who were elected unopposed during the 2014 election.
According to intelligence sources, in effort to stoke tension over the Lady of Justice statue, Sinha reinstalled in front of the Supreme Court’s annex building after it was removed from the top court’s main building.
In the verdict scrapping the 16th constitutional amendment empowering MPs to impeach top court judges, Sinha observed that the government has no confidence over the parliament.
Sinha came under fire from the ruling Awami League, over his observations in the full text of the verdict, which was published in August last year.
As the tension intensified, Sinha went on leave in early October, when the government said claimed it was for health reasons.
But before leaving for Australia on Oct 13, Sinha said he was taking the leave as he was ‘embarrassed’ by criticism from the ruling Awami League.
He also said he was leaving ‘temporarily’ for the 'sake of the judiciary's image'.
On Nov 11, the government informed that Sinha has sent his resignation from abroad.