Dhaka Bureau: The court has sentenced online casino businessman Salim Pradhan to 8 years imprisonment in two separate sections in the case of illegal wealth acquisition and money laundering. Besides, he was fined 11 lakh rupees. On Sunday (April 30) at noon, the judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-8, Md. Badrul Alam Bhuiyan, announced this verdict.
Apart from this, Salim Pradhan has been sentenced to 4 years imprisonment and a 1 lakh taka fine for illegal acquisition of wealth, and in default of payment, he will have to serve one more month of unpaid imprisonment. In addition, he has been sentenced to 4 years in prison for money laundering and a fine of Tk 10 lakh. In default of payment, he has been sentenced to 6 months of unpaid imprisonment. The court ordered the confiscation of illegally acquired property in favor of the state. Meanwhile, the two separate sentences will run concurrently. In that case, he will have to serve four years in prison.
Observing the judgment, the judge said it is not possible to eliminate corruption from society through judgment. So do not marry children to corrupt people. Do not go if invited. Knowingly going to someone’s dawa means taking an anti-state stance. Corrupt people should be socially boycotted.
Salim Pradhan was brought to the court from prison during the announcement of the verdict. At that time, his wife was also present in court. After the verdict, he was taken back to prison with a warrant.
Mention that ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anwar Pradhan filed a case against Salim Pradhan on October 27, 2019. In the case, he was charged with the illegal acquisition of Tk 12 crore, 27 lakh, 95 thousand, and 754. After the investigation of the case on January 17, 2021, ACC Deputy Director Md. Gulshan Anwar Pradhan Accused in the charge sheet of acquisition of assets beyond known income of Tk 57 crore, 79 lakh, 288 and smuggling of Tk 21 crore, 99 lakh, 51 thousand, and 145 thousand to Thailand and the USA. On October 31 of that year, the judge of Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court-6 rejected the plea of acquittal and ordered the framing of charges. During the trial of the case, the court heard the testimony of 35 out of 39 witnesses.
According to the charge sheet of the case, Salim Pradhan acquired a total wealth of Tk 57 crore, 41 lakh, and 48 thousand through corruption and playing casino games. Out of this, movable and immovable assets are 35 crore, 41 lakh, and 97 thousand taka. 21 crore and 99 lakh taka earned by playing casino games were smuggled to Thailand and the USA. Salim is the chairman of Japan-Bangladesh Security Printing Papers. He has 40 percent of the shares in this company. As opposed to 69 thousand shares, the investment shown here is Tk 69 lakh.
However, in the name of Salim Pradhan, a share money deposit of Tk 23 crore, 55 lakh, 84 thousand, and 650 was found. He earned this money illegally. The printing papers company made a profit of 29 lakh, 33 thousand, and 853 taka in 2010. In 2011, it made a profit of 1 crore, 46 lakh, 21 thousand, and 72 taka. Salim Pradhan mentioned in his personal income tax document that he took a loan of Tk 8 crore from here in the financial year 2011–12. However, he does not have any records regarding how he took the loan from this company.
