7 years in condemn cell despite acquittal: HC orders judicial inquiry

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's Lohagara upazila. 
 
The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Md Bashir Ullah passed the order. 
 
The registrar of the High Court was asked to investigate the matter and submit a report by 25 August. 
 
Lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir appeared for the appeal in the court while Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi for the state. 
 
Kashem was made an accused in the case over the killing of Jane Alam on March 30, 2002 in the upazila. 
 
On 4 August, following a report published on a news portal over the matter, Shishir Monir requested an investigation into the case of Abul Kashem who was acquitted by the High Court seven years ago in the murder case. 
 
On 24 July in 2007, the Chattogram court sentenced 12 accused, including Abul Kashem, to death and eight to life imprisonment. Kashem was tried in absentia. 
 
On 14 April 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.