Apan Jewellers: Three owners surrender, sent to jail

Three owners of Apan Jewellers were sent to jail after their surrender before Dhaka courts yesterday, a day after arrest warrants were issued for them in connection with three money laundering cases.

Dildar Ahmed Selim, one of the owners of Apan Jewellers, was sent to prison after he surrendered before three Dhaka courts, seeking bail in three money laundering cases filed with Ramna, Dhanmondi and Uttara Paschim police stations.

Two other owners and brothers of Dildar -- Gulzar Ahmed and Azad Ahmed -- were also sent to jail after their surrender before a Dhaka court in two money laundering cases lodged with Gulshan Police Station.

Metropolitan magistrates -- Nurunnahar Yasmin, Debbrata Biswas and Mahmudul Hassan -- sent Dildar to jail after he appeared before the courts and sought bail in three cases. Another Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ahsan Habib sent Gulzar and Azad to jail in two cases.  

Dildar is the father of Banani rape case accused Shafat Ahmed. The trial of the case against Shafat and four others is being dealt with another Dhaka court.

Court sources said the bail of Dildar, Gulzar and Azad was cancelled and they were sent to jail as they did not appear before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka after the expiry of their bail period on September 21.

The three secured bail from the High Court for four weeks on August 22.

On Monday, two Dhaka courts issued arrest warrants for them in the three money laundering cases.

On August 12, Customs Intelligence filed five cases against the three Apan Jewellers' owners under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.

According to the statements of the cases, the accused imported around 15 maunds of gold and diamonds by “dodging tax”.

Dildar has stood accused in three cases, while Gulzar and Azad have been accused in two cases.