One case that deserves suo moto initiative

52 year old Jamal Ibne Musa's herculean efforts resulted in 12-year-old Sonu being reunited with his parents in Delhi recently. In August 2010 Sonu was abducted from his parent's house in Delhi, allegedly by two Bangladeshi women, Rahima Begum and Aklima Begum of Barguna, one of whom had rented a room from Sonu's father.

Claiming Sonu to be their relative, the Bangladeshi duo forced the boy to be their house help. In his third attempt to flee their imprisonment, Sonu ran into Musa, who took the boy under his wing and later produced him before a Barguna court. The court sent the boy to a local juvenile correction centre. Things, however, got serious for Musa as Sonu's alleged kidnappers filed five cases against Musa, accusing him of abducting the boy. As a result, Musa spent 41 days in jail. After being released on bail, he went to New Delhi and traced Sonu's parents there.

By now Musa has drawn attention of the Indian and Bangladeshi media who dubbed him “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, after the famous Bollywood movie in which the hero takes a speech-impaired Pakistani child, stranded in India, back to her homeland to reunite her with her family, facing many ordeals on the way. 

Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj ensured the repatriation of Sonu. The following report in the TDS (July 01, 2016) summarizes the current state of the saga: 

“Asked about the future of the cases since the DNA test proved that Sonu is a son of Mehbub and Madhuri, Barguna Superintendent of Police Bijoy Bashak said the matter was under trial and so he would not comment.” 

“Replying to a query, he said police were not going to take any action against Sonu's alleged captors.”

What a travesty of justice! Musa and his family now fear that they may be implicated and arrested. Is this the way to treat a man who went out of his way to help a child? Where stands the State's motto, “Protect the good and punish the bad”?

I appeal to the higher echelons of our enlightened judiciary to take up this as a suo moto case and bring an end to the suffering of Jamal Ibne Musa.

ABM Nurul Islam

Middletown, Delaware 19709 

USA