Staff Reporter :
An Indian Court on Friday acquitted BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed from the allegation of illegally trespassing on the Indian Territory without valid documents. At the same time, the court directed to send him to Bangladesh without delay.
The verdict was delivered by a Judicial Magistrate (first class) of Shillong District Magistrate Court yesterday.
A case was continuing against the BNP leader in the Shillong District Magistrate Court. The judgment of the case was declared yesterday.
After the verdict, his lawyer S P Mohanta told the journalists, “Justice has been established. The verdict proves that he (Salahuddin) is innocent. Now, there is no bar on him to return to Bangladesh.”
Barrister A K M Ehsanur Rahman, a counsel for the BNP leader, said, after the end of arguments of both sides on June 25, 2018, the date of judgment was first fixed on August 13, 2018. But it was deferred to September 28, 2018, then to October 15, 2018 due to the fact that the Judge was on leave that day. Again the date was fixed on November 9, 2018.
But after considering an application the court fixed October 26, 2018 as the date of judgment.
Salahuddin Ahmed was allegedly kidnapped in Bangladesh on March 10, 2015. It was on May 11, 2015 that the BNP leader (Salahuddin Ahmed) was spotted in Golf Link area of Shillong, capital of the Meghalaya state of India, around 5.30 am.
Salahuddin was first taken to the Meghalaya Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (MIMHANS). But at MIMHANS, Ahmed was found to be mentally sound and referred to Shillong Civil Hospital for treatment. On May 12, 2015, he was arrested by the Meghalaya police for not having valid documents.
On July 25, 2015, the Court framed charges against Ahmed under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, for surfacing in India (Shillong) without valid documents. He was granted bail on June 5, 2015 with certain conditions that he has to appear in the Court or before Superintendent of Police, should not abscond or leave the jurisdiction of the Court and furnish his complete residential address to the Superintendent of Police.
Salahuddin Ahmed consistently claimed that he was kidnapped in Bangladesh, but did not know as to how he landed in India (Shillong) on May 11, 2015. How Ahmed went missing, and who had brought him to Shillong remains a mystery.
On August 29, 2018, the Court had recorded the statement of Salahuddin Ahmed. The Court has also recorded statements of 10 witnesses from the prosecution side during the trial.
An Indian Court on Friday acquitted BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed from the allegation of illegally trespassing on the Indian Territory without valid documents. At the same time, the court directed to send him to Bangladesh without delay.
The verdict was delivered by a Judicial Magistrate (first class) of Shillong District Magistrate Court yesterday.
A case was continuing against the BNP leader in the Shillong District Magistrate Court. The judgment of the case was declared yesterday.
After the verdict, his lawyer S P Mohanta told the journalists, “Justice has been established. The verdict proves that he (Salahuddin) is innocent. Now, there is no bar on him to return to Bangladesh.”
Barrister A K M Ehsanur Rahman, a counsel for the BNP leader, said, after the end of arguments of both sides on June 25, 2018, the date of judgment was first fixed on August 13, 2018. But it was deferred to September 28, 2018, then to October 15, 2018 due to the fact that the Judge was on leave that day. Again the date was fixed on November 9, 2018.
But after considering an application the court fixed October 26, 2018 as the date of judgment.
Salahuddin Ahmed was allegedly kidnapped in Bangladesh on March 10, 2015. It was on May 11, 2015 that the BNP leader (Salahuddin Ahmed) was spotted in Golf Link area of Shillong, capital of the Meghalaya state of India, around 5.30 am.
Salahuddin was first taken to the Meghalaya Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (MIMHANS). But at MIMHANS, Ahmed was found to be mentally sound and referred to Shillong Civil Hospital for treatment. On May 12, 2015, he was arrested by the Meghalaya police for not having valid documents.
On July 25, 2015, the Court framed charges against Ahmed under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, for surfacing in India (Shillong) without valid documents. He was granted bail on June 5, 2015 with certain conditions that he has to appear in the Court or before Superintendent of Police, should not abscond or leave the jurisdiction of the Court and furnish his complete residential address to the Superintendent of Police.
Salahuddin Ahmed consistently claimed that he was kidnapped in Bangladesh, but did not know as to how he landed in India (Shillong) on May 11, 2015. How Ahmed went missing, and who had brought him to Shillong remains a mystery.
On August 29, 2018, the Court had recorded the statement of Salahuddin Ahmed. The Court has also recorded statements of 10 witnesses from the prosecution side during the trial.
