Erfan cleared in narcotics case as well

Mohammad Erfan Salim, son of Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Salim, has been cleared of drug charges, days after officers dropped the charges of possession of illegal firearms in another case.

A Dhaka court yesterday cleared Erfan in the narcotics case.

On February 18, a Special Tribunal in Dhaka cleared him in the arms case because the police did not find evidence to prove the charges and the prosecutors did not demand further investigation.

Following a raid on Erfan's Chawkbazar house on October 26 last year, Rab Deputy Assistant Director Kaiyum Islam filed the arms and narcotics cases with Chawkbazar Police Station.

The complaint mentioned that Rab officers found a black foreign pistol with two bullets, a magazine under a mattress, and 12 cans of beer in Erfan's room on the third floor.

But, Inspector Muhammad Delwar Hossain of Chawkbazar Police Station wrote in the probe report that that was not Erfan's room.

The report was submitted to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka on January 5.

It said the room was used by guests who are mostly political activists visiting him. Since Erfan is an elected councillor of Ward-30 and son of a lawmaker, vested quarters planted the firearms.

Contacted yesterday, Inspector Delwar said he mentioned a similar reason why the beers were in that room.

Earlier, Rab Director General Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun said the cases against Erfan were based on evidence officers found during raids at his house.

Lt Col Ashique Billah, Rab's legal and media wing director, earlier said that Rab carried out the drive based on specific information and seized firearms and alcohol in presence of an executive magistrate.

The investigation officer also appealed to the court to clear Erfan in the cases.

However, Erfan cannot walk out of jail as he is yet to secure bail in an attempted murder case filed in October last year, his lawyer Pran Nath told The Daily Star.

In the attempted murder case, police found evidence to prove the charges.

Erfan was arrested on charges of attacking Lt Wasif Ahmed Khan of Bangladesh Navy in the capital's Dhanmondi on October 25 last year.

Rab conducted a drive at Haji Salim's house on Debidas Lane in Old Dhaka the next day.

A mobile court of Rab on the same day sentenced Erfan to six months in prison for keeping walkie-talkies illegally and six months for possessing illegal alcohol.