Punishment Before Conviction? Man Kept In Jail For 4 Years Without Filing Charges

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-09-09 13:37:53 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-09 19:15:14

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Downward spiral into despair: How false accusations left a man jailed for 4 years without charges and HC sheds light on this grievous admin failure.

Alleged crimes, impending marriage, imminent baptism, it was a joyous time for the Alam household in Jharkhand, but it was short-lived. Within a year, father, husband, and son-in-law, Parvez Alam, would be arrested and denied bail, despite there being a 16-year sentence limit for the alleged crimes. Over 4 years have passed and he is still in jail, awaiting trial and surviving on a mercy petition for relief.

Parvez Alam was arrested in June 2021 in connection with a case registered under Sections 498A and 304B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. These charges equate to accusations of marrying off his daughter without adequate consideration, and abetting suicide. His family alleges that the accusations are false, and that the case has been maliciously prosecuted for over 4 years without charge.

The alleged incidents happened in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, but Mr. Alam's legal battle has been in Patna, the state's capital, 240 miles away. His family has struggled to pay the legal and travel fees for his case, and he has been denied bail 13 times, despite the recommendation of the sessions judge.

Over the weekend, the Patna High Court took a rare step, of its own volition, and asked why the charges have not been filed against Mr. Alam, and why he has been denied bail, referring to the 16-year sentence limit for such cases. The High Court will itself hear his bail application on March 7th.

His family remains hopeful, but his wife, Shabina Khatoon, has already spent over 4 years in despair, struggling to survive and distance herself from the accusations. As she told us, hopefully, the High Court will bring an end to this 4-year nightmare and shine a light on administrative failures elsewhere.

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