S Dinajpur: Man spends 3 months in prison due to error committed by investigating officer

BALURGHAT: An innocent person was sent behind the bars for three months following the mistake of an investigating officer.

On the basis of his prayer for getting bail at Calcutta High Court, the judge granted the prayer of one Pintu Mali by giving him interim bail. Apart from this, the HC reportedly ordered a departmental inquiry against the investigating officer to the Superintendent of Police of South Dinajpur.

According to a police source, a man, identified as Shamim Hussein, was arrested from the Hili border area in January for allegedly keeping illegal cough syrup phensedyl in huge quantities. Police seized the cough syrup from his possession. On January 7, Mali was arrested by the police regarding the case. On February 28, the police had produced a charge sheet naming Mali as an accused.

Mali appealed for his bail petition at HC. As per order of the concerned HC, the investigating officer Ashim Kumar Ghosh was present at the court on Monday.

The judge Debangsu Basak asked Ghosh to explain before the court about the reason for Mali's arrest as his name was neither mentioned by the statement of Shamin or any of the witnesses during the hearing of the case. The government pleader Sanjay Bardhan admitted that it was a mistake committed by Ghosh for which Mali was wrongly sent behind the bars for three months. The concerned judge had also questioned the seriousness of Ghosh regarding the case while producing the wrong charge sheet for which an innocent man was sent to jail.

The judge had also consented to have compensated Mali for the mistake. Bardhan was also directed by the HC if there had been any financial transaction being conducted with Ghosh during the case hearing. The judge Debangsu Basak had further directed the SP of this district to produce a report before the HC within April 8.