M M Jasim :
An influential syndicate is working to bail out culprits from jails forging judges’ signatures. By this time, about 110 culprits came out of jails at the cost of several crores of taka, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) sources said.
Some unscrupulous low grade employees also of Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court-2, and some lawyers are involved with the evil mission.
The ACC got the information from Sheikh Mohammad Naim, one of the masterminds of the syndicate and a peon of the court. Assistant Deputy Director of ACC Md Safiullah and few other commission officials quizzed Naim on remand. Wednesday was the second day of his three days remand.
Sheikh Mohammad Naim, who was arrested by the RAB on August 22 and the court granted him three days remand, said that they brought out 110 under-trial and convicted prisoners in 76 cases from jails. The syndicate took five months to complete the mission. The freed convicted prisoners are listed terrorists and dealers in drugs and fake currency. Murder cases are also pending against some of them.
Fourteen prisoners have been freed in the current month, 20 prisoners in February, 20 prisoners in March, 16 prisoners in April and 40 prisoners in May.
The syndicate sends bail petition to jail authorities with fake signatures and seals of judges. It also uses the name of the convicted prisoners and their lawyers’ fake signatures and seals.
The ACC officials told The New Nation that they got huge information from the culprits. Lawyers of the court, officials and employees may be involved with the syndicate. Some other influential people are also working with them, they said.
ACC Chairman M Badiuzzaman told The New Nation that the commission officials were quizzing the accused persons. Tough action would be taken against the guilty, he said.
Sources said that Sheikh Mohammad Naim was transferred from Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court to Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court-2 on November 11 last year. He was the first to plan to bring out accused people from jail just after joining the new court. Moshlehuddin, Bench Assistant of the court joined with Naim.
On July 13, Obaidul Haque Akan, Najir of Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court-2, filed a case against the two persons with Kotwali Police Station. Police arrested Moshlehuddin on that day. Now he is in jail. Moshlehuddin admitted his involvement with the forgery in primary quizzing of police.
In the meantime, the ACC started to investigate the case. On 22 August, RAB members arrested Naim from the capital’s Adabar. On August 23, Assistant Deputy Director of ACC Md Safiullah brought Naim to the court and sought seven days remand. But the judge granted three days remand.
