Online Desk: The Supreme Court chamber judge today stayed till May 8 the High Court verdict that granted bail to Sohel Rana, owner of Rana Plaza, which collapsed and caused death of at least 1,135 people in April, 2013, in a murder case. Chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Md Abu Jafor Siddique passed the order of stay following a petition filed by the state challenging the HC verdict. Following the SC chamber judge’s order, Sohel Rana cannot get released from jail, Assistant Attorney General Mohammad Saiful Alam told.

Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi argued for the state while lawyer Md Qamrul Islam appeared for Sohel Rana during hearing of the petition today. Earlier in the day, state filed the petition with the Appellate Division through the attorney general’s office challenging the HC verdict that granted bail to Sohel Rana in the murder case. In the petition, the state has sought a stay order from the apex court on the HC verdict of bail. Citing the stay petition, he said Sohel Rana does not deserve bail in the case because of the gravity of his offence.

On April 6, the HC granted bail to Sohel Rana in the case. The bench of Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Mohammad Ali granted the bail after holding hearing on a rule that questioned earlier why Sohel Rana should not be granted bail in the case. Sohel Rana’s lawyer Md Qamrul Islam told The Daily Star on that day that his client has been suffering in jail for 10 years in connection with the case.

There are 594 witnesses of this case, but the trial court has recorded statements from only 35 witnesses of the case in last 10 years, he said. Among the total 38 accused, 37 ones except for Sohel Rana are now on bail, he said, adding that Sohel Rana has earlier secured bail in other remaining five to seven cases from the HC and lower courts concerned. He said the case was initially filed on charge of negligence in constructing the building. Charge of killing was including in the case later on.

At least 1,135 people, mostly garment workers, were killed and over 2,500 others injured as the nine-storey building came crashing down in Savar on April 24, 2013, raising questions about labour and human rights standards in Bangladesh. Hours after the disaster, Wali Ashraf, sub-inspector of Savar Police Station, had filed the murder case against building owner Sohel Rana, his father and several others.

The Criminal Investigation Department of police on May 24, 2015 pressed charges against Sohel Rana and 41 others in the murder case. On July 18, 2016, the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge’s Court framed charges against the 41 accused, including Sohel Rana, also a former Jubo League leader, in the case.