Hill Voice, 29 May 2023, Rangamati: It is reported that an innocent Jumma man of Jurachari upazila of Rangamati district is sent in Rangamati Jail due to his name matching the accused listed in a murder case. The victim’s name is Chikka Chakma (58), s/o laye Jalanta Bikash Chakma, mother late Gyana Lokkhi Chakma, village-Balukhali Mukh,133 no Jurachari Mouza, Jurachari Upazila.

Chikka Chakma is a farmer .It is reported that he has been forced to stay in jail for seven days since last May 22, 2023 due to mistake despite not being a criminal.

It is to be noted that on May 17, 2023, Loko Bidhu Chakma (62), the plaintiff in the murder case, through an affidavit executed in the legal process, declared that the arrested Chikka Chakma was not involved in the murder of his son and he would not have any objection if Chikka Chakma is released on bail or acquitted from the case. But still the court sent him to jail without bail.

It is known that on April 10, 2020, Hemanta Chakma, a member of Ward No. 2 of Banjogichara Union of Jurachari Upazila, was shot dead by an unknown group of miscreants. In this incident, Loko Bidhu Chakma, the father of the victim, filed a murder case at Jurachari Police Station as the plaintiff.

A person named Chikka Chakma was also included as an accused in that case. But there was no specific address and identity of that Chikka Chakma.
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Meanwhile after the investigation, the police named 13 people and submitted the charge sheet to the court on April 13, 2023. Chikka Chakma’s name was placed at number 12 in that list.

Farmer Chikka Chakma filed a bail pitition in the Rangamati Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court on May 22, 2023, claiming to be innocent. But the court rejected the bail petition and ordered him to be sent to jail.

Loko Bidhu Chakma, the plaintiff in the case, said, “Chikka Chakma, who has been accused in the case, is not the farmer Chikka Chakma.” The police wrongly or inadvertently filed a charge sheet against farmer Chikka Chakma. The investigating officer did not tell me anything about him during the investigation.

He mentioned in an affidavit executed on 17 May 2023 that, ‘I inquired about the Chikka Chakma in detail and found out that he was not involved in the incident and I did not say anything about him to the investigating officer. But there may be another Chikka Chakma.’

Jurachhari Upazila Parishad Vice Chairman Riton Chakma said, “There can be more than one person with the same name. Therefore, it is very sad to include the names of innocent people in the case.