GUWAHATI, Oct 1 - An Afghan refugee who was arrested last year in Guwahati on the charge of illegal stay and was sent to judicial custody, has finally got justice.
Sardar Shah Mohammad Khan alias Akram Khan, who had fled Kabul fearing for his life after the Taliban held him captive in Afghanistan on three occasions in 2008, took shelter in India as a registered refugee and was leading a relatively peaceful life in Guwahati till his arrest on Sept 27, 2014.
Undeterred by the ordeal, Khan then moved the Assam Police Accountability Commission seeking justice, which, in a significant order, has pulled up the police officer concerned for examining the official papers superficially and also termed the arrest as unjustified.
The Commission was of the opinion that the documents were not properly scrutinised and even the First Information Report (FIR) was filed without giving due consideration to the certificates that were produced by the petitioner and also without consulting the authority that had issued the stay certificate (refugee).
A certified copy of the order signed by the Chairman of the Commission, along with three others members, stated ��We hold that the SI (sub-inspector), unarmed branch, Umesh Chandra Das, committed serious misconduct for which he is liable to departmental proceedings under Section 78(1) of the Assam Police Act, 2007.�
�The DGP, Assam, is directed to cause drawl of departmental proceeding against SI (UB) Umesh Chandra Das, providing him due opportunity of defence in accordance with law.
�The police headquarters shall intimate the result of the departmental proceedings to the Commission in due course of time,� the order said.
The Commission, however, stated that as the case is now pending for disposal in the court, it did not want to make any comment on the merit of the case. The police had filed the chargesheet on Oct 17, 2014.
Sources, meanwhile, informed that the case has drawn the attention of the Home Ministry and some top officials of the Ministry had even met him in recent times.
�Even his passport was taken away by some individuals who introduced themselves as officials from intelligence wing. But Khan did not report the original cause of the loss of passport to the police out of fear,� sources stated.
Amidst all these developments, Khan, it is believed, is once again apprehensive of the threat to his life in India.
When contacted, Khan told this reporter that he was thankful to the Police Accountability Commission, and India being a friend to Afghanistan must ensure their safe stay as they (Afghans) have no other country to look forward to in the time of crisis.
