SC stays HC proceedings in Jaha Alam cases

The Appellate Division on Tuesday stayed until 13 May the hearing of a High Court rule and other proceedings regarding Jaha Alam, who languished in jail in place of the real accused in corruption cases, reports UNB.

Chamber judge justice Md Nuruzzaman passed the order after hearing an appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenging the authority of the HC bench which had issued the rule.

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said the HC bench which issued the rule has no jurisdiction to issue the rule as the HC has special benches for hearing cases related to the ACC.

The chamber judge also fixed 13 May for hearing the matter with the full bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, he said.

On 17 April, the HC bench of justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and justice KM Kamrul Kader asked the ACC to submit their internal probe report on Jaha Alam by 2 May.The court said they will look into who is responsible for the imprisonment of Jaha Alam.

On 6 March, the court asked for detailed documents of the 33 cases, in which Jaha Alam was incarcerated, and bank statements as affidavits within 10 April.

On 10 April, the court fixed 17 April following a time petition of the ACC lawyer.

Jaha Alam was freed from jail on 4 February after the High Court acquitted him in 26 cases in which charges had been pressed.

The jute mill worker had been behind the bars since February 2016 in ACC cases for misappropriating Sonali Bank money. The real accused, Abu Salek, is absconding.

Jaha Alam was released after the High Court issued a suo moto order and asked the ACC to submit case documents in the form of affidavits.