The High Court on Thursday ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to provide Tk 20 lakh as compensation to Arman, who has been in jail for four years instead of real convict Shahabuddin Bihari, within 30 days, reports UNB.
The bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order after declaring the imprisonment of Arman illegal and unconstitutional.
The HC also ordered to free Arman immediately and asked the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to submit a report within three months after investigation.
Besides, the HC asked the authorities concerned to attach the former officer-in-charge of Pallabi Police Station Dadon Fakir, investigation officer Sirajul Islam Khan, Sub-Inspector Russel and Nazrul Islam to the Police Lines.
Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallab stood for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Nouroz M Russel Chowdhury represented the state.
On April 18, 2019, a local paper ran a report titled ‘another Jaha Alam in prison’. Human rights organisation ‘Law’ and Life Foundation’ moved the court and attached the newspaper report with its petition.
On April 23, 2019, the High Court issued a rule seeking documents of the case. It also issued a rule asking the government to explain why the imprisonment of Arman should not be declared illegal.
The HC also issued another rule asking why the authorities concerned should not be directed to release Arman and should not be produced before the court and provided necessary compensation.
According to the report, Mohammad Arman, a worker of Pallabi Benarasi Polli, has been languishing in jail since January 17, 2016, in a drug case.
Shahabuddin Bihari is the real accused in the case and a court convicted him to 10 years imprisonment in the case. He is absconding.
The family members of Arman said police arrested Arman because of similarity between the names of Bihari and Arman’s fathers.
