The High Court on Sunday ordered a judicial inquiry into the matter of Abul Kashem who has been languishing in the condemned cell for seven years despite his acquittal in a murder case in Chattogram.
The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Md Bashir Ullah issued the order after a hearing on a plea filed by Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir.
The registrar of the High Court (HC) was asked to investigate the matter and submit a report by August 25.
Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir appeared for the appeal in the court while Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi represented the state.
Recently, a report was published on the sufferings of Abul Kashem, who was acquitted by the High Court in the case. The High Court order was sent to Chattogram Additional District and Sessions Judge Court, but the jail authorities didn’t receive any order in this regard.
On August 4, following the news report, Advocate Shishir Manir requested an investigation into the case of Abul Kashem who was acquitted by the High Court seven years ago in the murder case. The HC bench suggested the lawyer to file a written application before the court in this regard.
According to the news, Abul Kashem was made an accused in the case over the killing of one Jane Alam on March 30 in 2002 at Lohagora upazila in Chattogram.
On July 24 in 2007, the Chattogram court sentenced 12 accused, including Abul Kashem, to death and eight to life imprisonment. Abul Kashem was tried in absentia.
On April 14 in 2015, Additional Chattogram District and Sessions Judge Court-1 sent Abul Kashem to jail when he appeared before the court in another case and had been in the prison’s condemned cell since then.
On February 2013, the HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Shahidul Karim acquitted Abul Kashem from the case.
The order of his acquittal reached the Chattogram court from the High Court in due course but not to the jail authorities even after seven years.