NEWSPAPER reported that a Chattogram court on Tuesday ordered the release of a mentally challenged man who had been languishing in jail for the last 15 days. Police on August 18 arrested Nurul Absar of Sonakania area of Satkania upazila, mistaking him with a fugitive convict of the same name. The real convict from Garangira Hatiarkul area of the same upazila was sentenced to three months in jail in a case filed by a bank. The fugitive was the owner of an automobile workshop in the port city’s Dewanhat area. Mentally challenged Nurul Absar was sent to jail after Assistant Sub-inspector Jahirul Islam of Satkania Police Station arrested him and produced him before a court. However, the order for innocent person’s release came after police submitted a report to the court admitting their mistake.
Though it’s a belated effort, 15 days have gone in the meantime, we do congratulate Chattogram police for admitting their mistake and taking prompt action regarding this particular man. In fact, such incidents of “mistake” by police – whether it may be deliberate or accidental – are nothing new in the country. In January, the High Court summoned the Director General of the Anti-Corruption Commission and three other government officials to explain why a person named Jaha Alam, instead of the real accused, was in jail for the last three years. Between 2010 and 2011, the real accused one Abu Salek misappropriated about Tk 18 crore from Sonali Bank’s Dhaka Cantonment branch. Salek used a fake address to open a bank account. In 2012, the ACC filed 33 cases over the misappropriation, and Salek was made accused in most of them. Instead of arresting Salek, the ACC men sent innocent named Jaha Alam to jail. And it took long three years to make understand the authorities concerned that – it was a mistake!
In Nurul Absar’s incident, the mistake occurred even though the two persons had different addresses and fathers’ names. That means, the investigators were not serious enough during investigation. We must say, the police officers who would be assigned in investigation should be more cautious during performing their duties. A little mistake can push an innocent person into a deep ditch.
