While getting out on bail, actual accused not found in jail

In a case filed over extortion allegation, accused Ibrahim Khan alias Bhagne Tushar came to surrender in the court. Denying him bail, the court ordered to send him in jail.

However in reality, another man named Saif Islam had gone to the court to surrender, posing as Ibrahim. He went to jail too. The matter was caught at the time of bail being granted.

Officials in charge of Dhaka Central Jail, while matching accused’s fingerprints with the prints stored on the National Identity Card as per the rules, realised that the man who was staying in the jail till then was not Ibrahim Khan.

According to jail sources, Ibrahim Khan alias Bhagne Tushar, is the accused of an extortion case. Saif, posing as Ibrahim surrendered at a Dhaka court under this case on 12 September. Later on 18 September, he (Ibrahim) was granted bail. However, it was Saif, who was locked up inside the jail, instead of Ibrahim.

Subhash Kumar Ghosh, senior jail superintendent of Dhaka Central Jail told Prothom Alo, “When we release inmates after receiving bail papers, we take their fingerprints in biometric process. When the fingerprints of this prisoner (Saif) did not match, we came to learn through enquiry that he was not the actual accused. He was living in imprisonment in exchange of money. Later, we informed the court on this matter.”

As per the prison and court sources, when the incident of fraud was notified to the court (Special Judge Court-7) on 19 September, the court canceled the bail on 20 September. The court order stated, the bail was acquired by deceiving the court showing Saif as the accused in place of Ibrahim.

The court ordered the officer-in-charge (OC) of Kotwali police station to inform the court after taking necessary action against accused Saif for the deception.

Alongside, the court also asked the president and the general secretary of Dhaka Bar Association to take necessary steps against member of the association Md Abdul Baset for appealing to the court for bail on behalf of the accused. Besides, the court has issued an arrest warrant against accused Ibrahim Khan by revoking his bail.

In this regard, lawyer Abdul Baset told Prothom Alo on the phone, “I don’t recognise the accused by face. I didn’t identify him, they (accused's relatives) did.”

Meanwhile, Dhaka Bar Association general secretary Firozur Rahman has confirmed receiving court’s order regarding the incident of accused being swapped. While talking to Prothom Alo he said, “We have received the court order. We have sent him a notice, and have fixed Sunday (today) for the hearing.”

There are drug and robbery cases filed against Saif too, with different police stations of Dhaka. Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station told Prothom Alo that a fresh fraud case has been filed against him following the court order.

According to police sources, Ibrahim's maternal uncle Yasin Khan alias Palash is a top listed criminal. Currently, he’s serving a life sentence in a murder case. The trial court had sentenced him to death in the case, filed over Jubo Dal leader Mizan being shot dead in Rampura on 29 May 2002. Later, the High Court reduced his sentence to life imprisonment. He also became father of a child while supposedly being in prison. Prothom Alo published a report on this on 29 June, 2016.

Police said that there are five cases lodged against Yasin's nephew Ibrahim, on various charges including extortion and explosives.

Prothom Alo spoke to Saif's wife Mala Begum about Saif's staying in jail in place of Ibrahim. She told Prothom Alo on the phone, “I’m aware of it. Tushar (Ibrahim) is a friend of him (Saif). Tushar has a grandmother, who used to send my husband to different places. In fact, it was Tushar’s grandmother who picked up Tushar and Saif that day they sent Saif before the court. He is doing it for friendship.”