SC rejects ACC’s stay petition

The Supreme Court yesterday cleared the way for the High Court to hold hearing on the rule over compensating Jaha Alam, the man wrongly imprisoned for three years because of an identity mix-up.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, dismissed a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission seeking stay on the HC proceedings on the rule.

Now, the HC will set a date to hear on the rule, said Advocate Amit Das Gupta, the lawyer who moved for the suo moto (voluntary) rule before the HC for the compensation.

Advocate AM Amin Uddin appeared for Jaha Alam yesterday, while Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan argued for ACC.

Jute mill worker Jaha Alam, who had been wrongly languishing in jail since February 2016, was released on February 4 this year following an HC directive after newspapers reported about his ordeal.

He was arrested in connection with cases filed by the ACC for misappropriation of Sonali Bank money. The HC exonerated him from the charges on February 3.

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader on January 28 issued the suo moto rule asking the ACC and government why they should not be directed to compensate Jaha Alam.

During a hearing on the rule on March 6, the HC bench said ACC must take the responsibility for Jaha Alam not getting bail much earlier.

Following the ACC’s stay petition, chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Md Nuruzzaman on April 23 stayed the HC proceedings on the rule, and sent the petition to its full bench.