STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The Supreme Court chamber judge yesterday stayed the High Court orders that granted ad-interim bail to senior journalist Shakil Ahmed in five cases and his wife, senior journalist Farzana Rupa, in six cases filed over incidents linked to the July mass uprising.

The apex court chamber judge also asked the HC to hear and dispose of the rules it has issued over granting them bail in the cases.

Justice Md Rezaul Haque, chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC, passed the order following separate petitions filed by the attorney general’s office on behalf of the state challenging the HC orders.

On May 11, the HC granted ad-interim bail to Shakil in five cases and Rupa in six cases, and also issued separate rules asking the state to explain why the couple should not be granted permanent bail in those cases.

However, the HC refused to grant them bail in another case, although it issued separate rules asking the state to explain why they should not be granted bail in that case as well.