The verdict in a case filed against BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed for trespassing into Indian territory has been deferred again by a court in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya state.

The judicial magistrate court was expected to give its decision in the case filed under the Foreigners’ Act on Monday (Oct 15), but has rescheduled it for Nov 9.

 After concluding the trial, the court had set Aug 13 for the verdict, but deferred it to Sept 28 before rescheduling it for the second time on Monday.

Speaking to Bangla Tribune on Monday, Salahuddin said, “Justice delayed is justice denied that has been the case always.”

The legal community in Shillong, however, says they find the delay in a trespassing case ‘rather curious’.

“You can be almost certain that there’s no possibility of the verdict before the Bangladesh general election,” a senior lawyer in Shillong, who has observed the case’s proceeding, told Bangla Tribune.

According to the legal professional, who wished to go unnamed, the issue of Salahuddin’s trespassing is an “open and shut case” regarding the circumstances under which he was found.

A joint secretary general of the BNP, Salahuddin went missing in March 2015 from Dhaka without a trace for two months and finally surfaced in Shillong.

On May 11, Salahuddin was spotted at the Golf Link area in Shillong. Locals reported him to Meghalaya police saying he was wandering “suspiciously and aimlessly.”

Salahuddin was initially not speaking coherently, and he was first taken to the Meghalaya Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (MIMHANS) for examination. After he was declared mentally sound, the BNP leader was transferred to Shillong Civil Hospital.

On May 12 that year, Meghalaya police arrested and filed a case against Salahuddin, as he did not have proper travel documents. The court has framed charges against the BNP leader under Section 14 of India’s Foreigners Act 1946.

Salahuddin claimed in court he was abducted in Bangladesh on Mar 10, but said he has no idea how he ended up on the other side of the border in Shillong on May 11.

The BNP leader was granted bail on Jun 5, under the conditions that he appears before the court or the police, does not abscond or leave the jurisdiction of the court, and provides his complete residential address to the police.

Several lawyers in Shillong described the three-year-long proceeding for the case as ‘very unusual’.

According to observers, the general election in Bangladesh, likely in late December, is the reason behind the delay.

“May be it will not send a good message to the Awami League government, if a India court rules in favour of a controversial BNP leader ahead of the election. It’s hard to find a definite reason but my assumption is that’s the case,” a senior lawyer in Shillong said, preferring anonymity.