Fruit seller sent to jail after courtroom photos link to July Uprising probe

A Dhaka fruit seller has been sent to jail under an attempted murder case linked to the July Uprising, despite being initially detained for taking photographs inside a courtroom.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Hasan Shahadat denied Sagar Dewan, the suspect, bail on Monday.

Defence lawyer Farzana Yasmin said her client was first apprehended while photographing a session conducted by Magistrate Jewel Rana on Sunday, with his mobile phone seized at the time.

“Usually, someone caught with a phone in court is released within two to three hours. Instead, he was listed as arrested in a July Uprising case and brought before the court,” Farzana added.

She said Sagar’s elder brother Shawon was also detained but later released.

Kotwali Police Sub-Inspector Joydeb Sharma, who produced Sagar, initially claimed he was arrested from Badamtali, but later admitted the fruit seller had first been detained inside the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court premises.

The SI declined to comment on any specific attempted murder allegations against Sagar.

While being taken to the prison van, Sagar told journalists he had “mistakenly” taken photos in court.

Bench Assistant Abu Shahin said Magistrate Jewel Rana had ordered Sagar’s phone seized and a case filed after a politically sensitive WhatsApp group, “Jail-Julum (oppression) League”, was found on the device.

Sagar was formally shown as arrested in the attempted murder case of a student from Kabi Nazrul Government College, in which 56 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, were named.