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Actress Pori Moni allegedly snatched a journalist’s mobile phone and verbally abused him while leaving a Dhaka court after securing bail in an assault, vandalism and intimidation case filed by businessman Nasir Uddin Mahmud.
Meanwhile, a court visitor sustained a head injury after being pushed by security guards accompanying the actress.
The incidents took place at the Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Thursday, triggering chaotic scenes during Pori Moni’s appearance.
The court had cancelled her bail and issued an arrest warrant on Wednesday after she failed to appear for a hearing.
Pori Moni arrived at the court around 9:30am on Thursday to surrender and seek bail. She remained inside her car on the court premises, surrounded by her personal security guards, who restricted the movement of people nearby.
Around 11:40am, she got out of the car and headed towards the courtroom, escorted by her guards. Journalists attempting to take photographs and record videos were allegedly pushed by the security personnel.
While getting into a lift, Pori Moni snatched the mobile phone of Robiul Hossain, a multimedia reporter for the daily Samakal, as he was recording her. Hossain later managed to retrieve the phone.
She appeared before the court of Acting Senior Judicial Magistrate Mahfuzur Rahman, where her lawyer, Nilanjana Rifat Suravi, sought bail. Following the hearing, the court granted her bail on a Tk500 bond.
As she left the court after securing bail, her security guards again allegedly pushed journalists trying to photograph and film her.
During the scuffle, a court visitor named Sujan Chandra Moni Das sustained a head injury and was seen bleeding.
His brother alleged that Pori Moni’s security guards had pushed him, causing the injury.
After reaching the ground floor and preparing to get into her car, Pori Moni allegedly confronted Samakal reporter Robiul Hossain and verbally abused journalists before leaving the court premises.
Several other journalists also alleged that they had been pushed by her security guards.
bdnews24.com said it was trying to obtain Pori Moni’s comments on the incidents.
Businessman Nasir Uddin filed the case on July 6, 2022. The court subsequently ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the allegations.
On March 18, 2023, PBI investigation officer and Dhaka district inspector Monir Hossain submitted a report finding evidence of assault and intimidation allegations against Pori Moni and Zunaid Bogdadi Jim.
The court later issued summons for the two accused to appear on June 25, when they surrendered and secured bail.
On January 26 last year, a Dhaka court framed charges against Pori Moni and her costume designer, Zunaid Bogdadi Jim, and ordered the trial to begin.
As Pori Moni was absent that day, an arrest warrant was issued against her. She surrendered and secured bail the following day.
On March 27, she filed a revision petition challenging the order framing charges. However, on September 12 last year, Dhaka’s Ninth Additional District and Sessions Judge Sajjadur Rahman Khan rejected the petition, allowing the trial to proceed.
