Shillong,Sept 8: High Court of Meghalaya has summoned the Inspector General of Prisons for keeping a Bangladeshi national in jail for over a year after completion of his six-month sentence.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W. Diengdoh was hearing a csse of 2026 filed by the Registrar General, High Court of Meghalaya.
Additional Advocate General K Khan informed the Court that the Bangladeshi national has completed his six-month sentence but is still lodged in prison for more than a year as verification of his nationality is pending with the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh.
The court rejected the explanation, and said the prisoner should have been shifted to a detention centre or deported after completing his sentence.
“We cannot countenance the said explanation offered by the learned AAG. Detaining the Bangladeshi national beyond his sentence period amounts to illegal detention,” the court said.
The court observed that authorities should have initiated steps with the Assistant High Commissioner at the time of initiation of the case
Lack of response from the Commissioner cannot be a ground to keep a person in jail beyond term.
The court also warned that it may grant compensation if the Bangladeshi national continues to be kept in prison.
The IG Prisons has been directed to be personally present in Court on September 9 to inform where the national will be kept after his release.
