Dhaka, April 23 – The Chamber court yesterday stayed till May 13 the High Court proceedings on the rule regarding compensation to Jaha Alam who was wrongly imprisoned for three years in connection with 26 fraud cases.
Jute mill worker Jaha Alam, who had been wrongly languishing in jail since February 2016, was released on February 4 this year following an HC directive.
Chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Md Nuruzzaman passed the stay order following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission seeking a stay on the HC hearing on the issue.
The apex court chamber judge also sent the stay petition to its full bench for hearing the same on May 13.
The ACC submitted the stay petition to the SC on April 21 saying that the HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader, who issued the suo moto (voluntary) rule regarding Jaha Alam, have no jurisdiction to deal with the ACC’s cases.
Replying to a question, Advocate Alam said the ACC in its stay petition did not challenge the HC order for releasing Jaha Alam from jail.
Earlier, the HC bench directed the ACC to submit its investigation report by May 2 to identify the persons, who were involved over wrongly imprisoned Jaha Alam in connection with 26 fraud cases.
The HC bench comprising Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the directive while the matter came up in the cause list for hearing.
As the ACC was not able to submit its investigation report over the Jaha Alam ordeal, the HC bench fixed May 2 for further hearing on the matter.
During the hearing, the HC bench said, “We want to see those who were responsible over the ordeal of Jaha Alam. The report is very much important. You will submit all documents of the cases along with the investigation report,” the HC bench asked the ACC lawyer.
In 2014, the ACC prosecuted one Abu Saleque in 26 cases on charges related to loan fraud, involving Tk. 185 million from Sonali Bank.
Officials of the bank, however, identified Jaha Alam as Saleque and the jute mill worker was arrested in 2016.
Later, the HC issued a suo moto order to free Jaha Alam following a report published in a national daily and aired on television in February.
Jaha Alam was freed from Gazipur’s Kashimpur Jail after serving three years in prison over the false cases. – Staff Reporter
