Family in tears as innocent Jaha Alam is released from jail

Dhaka, Feb 04 – Jaha Alam, who got released from jail after imprisoned wrongly for three years, wants compensation and justice for his sufferings.
He was released from Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur in the wee hours of of Monday under orders from the High Court.
“The ACC has kept me in jail for three years over a false case. I have suffered a lot, I want compensation. I want strict repercussions for the ACC,” said Jahalom, expressing his grievance to journalists.
“I want a job. I want Prime Minister to do the justice. I want to thank court for arranging my release. I never thought that I would become free again,” he said, quoting our local correspondent.
Upon returning home after three long years his mother gave him a milk bath.
“My son was poured in prison wrongly and he served three years without any fault. I want justice for him,” said his mother.
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) in 2014 prosecuted one Abu Saleque in 33 cases on charges related to loan fraud involving of Tk 185 million from Sonali Bank. But due to a mistake committed by the ACC, Jahalom served three years in prison instead of Saleque.
Jaha Alam at that time went to ACC office and pleaded not guilty, said he is not Abu Salek. His plea however, went unheard. Jaha Alam was arrested in the cases on February 6, 2016, and was being rotting in jail since then
Alam’s elder brother Shahnur received him at the gate of Kashimpur Central Jail and burst into tears. Sahanur Mia hugged him and burst into tears at the prison gate after his release.
After talking to newsmen waiting at the jail gate, the brothers went to their home in village Dhuburia under Nagarpur upazilla in Tangail.
Alam brother also thanked the court; demanded fitting justice for the mistake committed and also demanded compensation.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order yesterday, asking to acquit Alam from 26 graft cases, where he was wrongly implicated.
“We are not in support of keeping an innocent even a minute behind bars,” the court said in its order.
The court also asked ACC to identify the persons behind the botched investigation, or else, the court has to ‘intervene’ in this.
Recently a national daily make a report titled ‘Sir, Ami Jahalom, Saleque Na’ on the sufferings of Alam. When the report was brought to the notice of the High Court, the court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul
Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader ordered Jahalom’s freedom in 26 cases started by the ACC.
Meanwhile, The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday formed a committee to investigate the matter of Jaha Alam, the innocent man has been lodged in jail for the past three years instead of the real accused in connection with 26 corruption cases.
ACC legal wing Director Abu Hasnat Md Abdul Wadud will lead the body. The committee has been asked to submit the report after conducting investigation over the whole incident.
ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood yesterday declared the probe committee while talking to reporters at his office.
“We formed the committee to look into the irregularities in the entire matter. The committee has been asked to submit the report after conducting investigation on whether any irregularities or not. If
there is any irregularity found, the commission would take appropriate action,” Mahmood said.
Jute mill worker Jaha Alam, who had been languishing in jail since February 2016, was released early today. He was arrested in connection with cases filed by the ACC for misappropriation of Sonali Bank money.
Jaha Alam was released from jail early Monday following a High Court order. He walked out from Kashimpur prison-2 at 1am.
Jail Superintendent Subrata Kumar Bala said his release papers reached the jail on Sunday night. After scrutinising the papers and completing the formalities, Jaha Alam was set free.
His family members, including his brother Shananur Miah, received him outside the jail.
In an immediate reaction after his release, Jaha Alam said, “I was in jail for three years without any trial due to a mistake of the Anti-Corruption Commission.”
He demanded punishment of those responsible for the incident.” His brother, Sahanur, also demanded punishment of those who are responsible it and compensation for Jah Alam.
Earlier, the High Court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader on Sunday ordered Deputy Inspector General DIG) of Prisons to immediately release innocent Jah Alam who was in jail for the last three years instead of the real accused in 26 corruption cases.
The High Court passed the suo moto order following a newspaper report under a headline “Wrong accused in jail in 26 cases: Sir I’m Jha Alam, not Salek.”
Supreme Court lawyer Amit Das Gupta placed the news report before the court.
The report said Jaha Alam, a jute mill worker, had been serving in jail in place of real accused Abu Salek in 26 cases of embezzlement of Tk 18 crore from Sonali Bank.
According to media reports, it was mostly due to the faults of the ACC that Jaha Alam has been languishing in prison for three years before his story surfaced in the media.– Staff Reporter