Casino scam: Salim Pradhan can't contest UP polls, says SC

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) has passed an order barring Salim Pradhan, much discussed in the casino scandal, from participating in the Rupganj Upazila Parishad elections in.

Besides, the court also fined him Tk10,000 for wasting court time.

An eight-member Appellate bench led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan delivered the verdict on Thursday (May 16), Election Commission lawyer Khan Mohammad Shamim Aziz later told reporters.

Notable, on April 30 last year, Dhaka Special Judge’s Court sentenced Salim Pradhan to eight years in prison in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on charges of illegally amassing wealth worth Tk 570.79 million through online casino business and laundering Tk 220 million to Thailand and the United States. At the same time, he was fined Tk 11 lakh, in default of payment he was sentenced to another seven months imprisonment.

Salim was arrested from a flight to Bangkok on September 30, 2019 amid the nationwide casino scandal. He was released on bail on October 23 last year after serving four years in prison.

Besides, Salim has been booked under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act. Another case was filed against him for being a loan defaulter.

For these reasons, the Election Commission canceled his nomination.

But later, the High Court ordered Salim to be allowed to participate in the elections.

After that order, rival candidate Habibur Rahman and Election Commission filed separate appeals with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.