Chief Justice SK Sinha has constitute a new High Court bench to hear three petitions — one filed by former President HM Ershad and two others filed by the government — against a lower court verdict sentencing him to three years’ imprisonment in a graft case in 1992.

The HC bench of Justice M Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty will now hear the petitions, reports UNB.

Ershad had challenged the lower court verdict sentencing him to three years’ imprisonment while the government filed the two petitions for increasing his jail term.

Although the single bench of Justice M Ruhul Quddus was scheduled to deliver its verdict on March 23 on the appeal filed by Ershad, it did not pass the judgment as two more petitions filed by the government in this regard were pending with the High Court.

Later, the court sent all three appeals to Chief Justice SK Sinha for further action.

The then Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAC) filed the case against former military ruler Ershad with Cantonment Police Station on January 8, 1991 on charge of misappropriating Tk 1.91 crore by misusing powers at different times when he was the president of the state from December 11, 1983 to December 6, 1990.

A Dhaka court on February 3, 1992 convicted him for the graft charges and sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment.

The court had also directed the authorities concerned to confiscate the money and a Toyota Land-Cruiser jeep from Ershad, also Jatiya Party president.

Ershad had filed an appeal with the HC the same year challenging the lower court judgment.

Following the appeal, the HC stayed the lower court verdict.

The ACC on February 26 in 2012 became a party to the case under the HC’s permission, as the BAC was not functional.