The High Court yesterday granted bail to a prisoner who has been languishing in jail in a murder case for more than nine years without trial.

Saleh Ahmed Kalu, from Chauddagram upazila of Comilla, was granted bail to the custody of his wife Rizia Begum as he is mentally imbalanced.

The HC bench of Justice AKM Abdul Hakim and Justice SM MoziburRahman granted the bail after hearing a suomoto rule it issued on July 2.

Mintu Kumar Mondal, a lawyer of the Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee, who prayed for bail of Saleh Ahmed, said Saleh has been in jail in a case filed for killing his father Abdul Aziz. “Saleh Ahmed was not mentally stable when he killed his father,” he said.