Controversial former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque has been detained by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

He was picked up from a residence in Dhanmondi around 8:30 am on Thursday and brought to the DB offices for questioning, according to DB Joint Commissioner Md Nasirul Islam, who said Khairul Haque has been taken to the DB office on Minto Road for questioning.

The former chief justice faces a total of three cases in Dhaka’s Jatrabari and Narayanganj, including charges of sedition and delivering a forged judgment.

On Aug 18, Supreme Court lawyer Mujahidul Islam Shaheen filed a case against the former chief justice and former Law Commission chairman Khairul at Shahbagh Police Station over allegations of corruption and forgery of verdicts.

Earlier, on Aug 15, another case was filed against Khairul at Fatulla Police Station in Narayanganj. The case was filed by General Secretary of Fatulla Thana BNP and former president of the Narayanganj District Bar Association Abdul Bari Bhuiyan in connection with the verdict declaring the caretaker government system unconstitutional 13 years ago.

In that case, Khairul was accused of changing the verdict to annul the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and forgery.

Khairul served as chief justice from Oct 1, 2010 to May 17, 2011.

On May 10, 2011, an appellate bench led by him annulled the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, rendering the caretaker government system used for elections illegal.

After his retirement, Khairul was appointed as the chairman of the Law Commission for a three-year term on Jul 23, 2013. He was reappointed to the post several times.