The High Court on Wednesday asked two people acquitted by a lower court in a case filed against former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others over laundering Tk 4 crore  to surrender before  it.

They are Mohammad Shahajahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing a petition.

The court also wanted to know why the acquittal of the two should not be revoked.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on December 20 filed a petition challenging the lower court’s verdict acquitting Shahajahan and Niranjan in the graft case.

On November 9, Judge of the Dhaka Special (Court-4) Sheikh Nazmul Alam Khan sentenced former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha to 11 years’ imprisonment in the case.

The court also fined S K Sinha Tk 45 lakh, in default, to suffer six months more rigorous imprisonment.

It also ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate Tk 78 lakh from his bank account.

The court also sentenced eight other accused to different jail terms while acquitted two others — Shahjahan and Niranjan –as allegations brought against them were not proved.

Former managing director of Farmers Bank AKM Shamim got four years’ jail with a fine of Tk 50,000 while Santri Roy Simi and Ranjit Chandra Saha were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each with a fine of Tk 10,000.

The remaining four accused — Gazi Salahuddin, senior executive vice president and former head of credit division of the bank, Swapan Kumar Roy, first vice president (Credit division), Shafiuddin Askari Ahmed, vice president Md Lutful Haque — were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each and fined Tk 25,000 each.

On July 10, 2019, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case accusing former chief justice SK Sinha and 10 others of accumulating illegal wealth and laundering Tk 4 crore.

On December 10, 2019, the investigation officer in the case submitted a chargesheet against the 11 accused. On August 13, 2020, a court framed charges against the 11, including Sinha.