Tangail’s Jahalam, who was wrongfully accused in 33 graft cases, has been released from jail following a High Court order.
Jahalam spent the last three years behind bars instead of the real accused Abu Salek on charges of loan fraud and embezzlement of Tk 185 million from Sonali Bank Limited.
He came out of Kashimpur Central Jail around 12:50am on Monday (Feb 4). Senior Superintendent of the prison Subrata Kumar Bala told the media that they received Jahalam’s release papers around 12:05am and Jahalam was freed after routine paperwork and verification.
Jahalam brother Shahnur received him in front of the prison entrance.
Talking to journalist before starting for their Tangail home, Jahalam expressed gratitude to the media for bringing his situation to the top court’s attention.
He also demanded compensation for his three-year-long ordeal and punishment of those who were responsible for his wrongful imprisonment.
Jahalam was arrested in 2016 after he was mistaken for Abu Salek who was accused in 33 cases filed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) over loan fraud and embezzling nearly Tk185 million from Sonali Bank.
On Sunday (Feb 3) The High Court ordered immediate release of Jahlam.
The 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.
Earlier 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 Jahlam’s counsel Amit Das Gupta brought the news report to Supreme Court’s attention.
The court, while passing the order on Sunday 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.”
Jahalam, who worked at a Jute Mill at the time of his arrest back in 2016, hoped to get his job back.
