Arrested Hindu priest's lawyer brutally attacked in Bangladesh: ISKCON

Amid heightened tension in Bangladesh, another attack has emerged where Advocate Ramen Roy defending former ISKCON member Chinmoy Krishna Das was brutally assaulted, according to ISKCON vice president Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das.

Radharam claimed Roy is critically injured and currently receiving treatment in an intensive care unit.

“Advocate Ramen Roy’s only ‘fault’ was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. A group of Islamists ransacked his home and attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life," claimed the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)'s Radharam.

Urging people to pray for Roy's health, he noted the increasing threat faced by those defending religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Radharam also posted a picture of Roy in the ICU on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only ‘fault’ was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him. #SaveBangladeshiHindus #FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu.”

Radharam has described the attack on Roy as “a direct consequence of his legal defense of Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu," reported news agency PTI.

The allegations, however, have not been independently verified by PTI.

Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested on charges of sedition last week at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while traveling to Chattogram for a rally. Das, the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was denied bail and sent to jail the following day.

He had allegedly hoisted a saffron flag above Bangladesh's national flag in Chittagong on Oct 25.

Following the arrest, there have been incidents of violent clashes, including the death of a lawyer in Chittagong on Nov 27.

Apart from Chinmoy Krishna Das, Radharamn Das claimed that two monks, Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari, were reportedly arrested on Nov 29.

“On Nov 29, when Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari were returning after meeting Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, they were arrested by the police. We are also getting information that the secretary of Chinmoy Krishna Das has also been arrested," he said.

Police have till now arrested at least 33 people in connection to the violence.