M Faruque Hossain :
Ohidunnessa, a century old woman, can neither see nor walk alone, nor she can take her meals, nor says anything of her early life, yet she has been living for years in jail.
She now counts her ultimate days in the dark cell of the Kashimpur Central Jail, sheds tears, sighs bending her lean and thin body, shrieks in pain, staring her eyes in the face of the jail officials with endless craving when she will be released from the captivity, which she never wanted.
She along with 16 members of her family was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case by a court. She claimed that she
had been punished in a fabricated case. She could not file an appeal for review of judgment, as all her male members of the family are in the jail.
She is now nearly 100 years. According to the court verdict, she has to stay in the penitentiary for 10 more years. But when she saw the Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, she requested him to do something for her release. Tears were rolling her cheeks when she was craving.
Being moved by her sorrowful stories, the Chief Justice directed the jail authority to arrange review of her case immediately.
The Chief Justice met the elderly women, while visiting the Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur on June 29.
On May 14, 2000, a Chandpur Court handed death sentences to her husband Salamat Pradhania, her son and 10 others, and life term to her, her daughter- in-law and two other members of the family.
She said, she had lost her sight and could not move on her own. Her daughter-in-law, who is also in the same ward of the jail, assists her.
The Chief Justice said, a person like her can do no harm to others. There can be no reason that she should not be set free.
Her previous appeal against the High Court verdict was rejected by the Supreme Court, as the petition was filed after 30 days of the scheduled time.
In the appeal petition, she mentioned that she could not file the appeal within the scheduled time, as all the family members were in the jail in the manufactured murder case out of local enmity.
She also mentioned that she could not afford the lawyer’s fees. She said to the Chief Justice, “Set me free.” Prison officials said, she always remains in tears and has become a burden to the jail authority.
She also mentioned that her daughter-in-law also serves life term with her as a victim of the same fabricated case. Her husband and son died in the jail.
Like Ohidunnessa, 13 others women are also in jail.
The jail officials said, their appeals seeking reduction of jail terms had been forwarded to the Home Ministry, according to the jail code.
Ohidunnessa, a century old woman, can neither see nor walk alone, nor she can take her meals, nor says anything of her early life, yet she has been living for years in jail.
She now counts her ultimate days in the dark cell of the Kashimpur Central Jail, sheds tears, sighs bending her lean and thin body, shrieks in pain, staring her eyes in the face of the jail officials with endless craving when she will be released from the captivity, which she never wanted.
She along with 16 members of her family was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case by a court. She claimed that she
had been punished in a fabricated case. She could not file an appeal for review of judgment, as all her male members of the family are in the jail.
She is now nearly 100 years. According to the court verdict, she has to stay in the penitentiary for 10 more years. But when she saw the Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, she requested him to do something for her release. Tears were rolling her cheeks when she was craving.
Being moved by her sorrowful stories, the Chief Justice directed the jail authority to arrange review of her case immediately.
The Chief Justice met the elderly women, while visiting the Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur on June 29.
On May 14, 2000, a Chandpur Court handed death sentences to her husband Salamat Pradhania, her son and 10 others, and life term to her, her daughter- in-law and two other members of the family.
She said, she had lost her sight and could not move on her own. Her daughter-in-law, who is also in the same ward of the jail, assists her.
The Chief Justice said, a person like her can do no harm to others. There can be no reason that she should not be set free.
Her previous appeal against the High Court verdict was rejected by the Supreme Court, as the petition was filed after 30 days of the scheduled time.
In the appeal petition, she mentioned that she could not file the appeal within the scheduled time, as all the family members were in the jail in the manufactured murder case out of local enmity.
She also mentioned that she could not afford the lawyer’s fees. She said to the Chief Justice, “Set me free.” Prison officials said, she always remains in tears and has become a burden to the jail authority.
She also mentioned that her daughter-in-law also serves life term with her as a victim of the same fabricated case. Her husband and son died in the jail.
Like Ohidunnessa, 13 others women are also in jail.
The jail officials said, their appeals seeking reduction of jail terms had been forwarded to the Home Ministry, according to the jail code.
