'Trespass': Indian court defers verdict in case against Salahuddin

A Shillong court yesterday again deferred the verdict delivery in a case filed against BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed for illegally entering Indian territory.

The court, which was scheduled to deliver the verdict yesterday, fixed November 15 for announcing the judgment, Salahuddin's personal secretary Nurul Islam Helali told The Daily Star.

With this, the court of Judge DG Khar Singh has deferred the date for delivering the verdict five times.

Quoting Salahuddin's lawyer SP Mohanta, the BNP leader's nephew Safwanul Karim said the court concluded hearing of the case, including that on arguments and recording statements, around six months back.

Mohanta believes Salahuddin will be acquitted in the case, Safwanul said.

On September 23, Salahuddin told The Daily Star that he was hopeful of getting justice.

Salahuddin, 57, was state minister for communication of the last Khaleda Zia-led BNP government.

People found him "hanging around" in Shillong on May 11, 2015, according to Meghalaya police and Indian media.

Police arrested him in connection with trespassing since he had no travel documents.

On May 12, 2015, Salahuddin's wife told the press in Bangladesh that her husband called her from Meghalaya Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Science.   

Salahuddin's family members and the BNP had alleged that law enforcers had picked him up from a house in Dhaka's Uttara on March 10, 2015.