The High Court has ordered immediate release of Jahlam, who was wrongly accused of over two dozens of graft cases, filed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).

On Sunday (Feb 3) The High Court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader exempted Jahlam from 26 cases while it passed no order on seven other cases against Jahlam as charge sheets in the cases haven’t been filed yet.

Jahlam’s counsel Amit Das Gupta said that there is no bar on his client’s release anymore.

On Jan 28, the HC summoned four people including ACC Chairman’s representative and plaintiffs of the cases asking them to explain why Jahlam was wrongfully accused following a report published by a national daily detailing the victim’s story.

Advocate Gupta brought the news report to the Supreme Court’s attention.

Khurshid Alam Khan moved for the ACC in the hearing.

The court said, “We don’t want to interfere with ACC’s work but it has to investigate a case properly, and not issue a notice against a person without proper probe.”

It was, in fact, someone named Abu Salek, who was slapped with the 33 cases for misappropriating nearly Tk 185 million. But, instead of the real accused, Jute Factory worker Jahlam suffered almost three years behind bars.

ACC officials are saying, Jahlam has been proven innocent of the charges. National Human Rights Commission came to the same conclusion.

Jahlam has been granted bail in one case and awaiting bail from 32 others, they added.