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ISI agent rearrested

COOCH BEHAR, Nov. 27: The ISI agent, Nazrul Islam, who escaped from Mekhliganj court lockup on 25 June in 2003 was rearrested by police from Kolkata recently and produced at the Mekhliganj court today. Hew will be produced at the court again on 10 December. Police sources said he was arrested from New Market area in Kolkata on 19 November.

 

In 2003, after the court proceedings at Mekhliganj, Nazrul wanted to go to the bathroom. He escaped from the bathroom by breaking a few rods of a window. He had used an iron bar for the purpose. His garments were also found in the bathroom. It was suspected that he had fled to Bangladesh by crossing the Indo-Bangladesh border. Four police personnel – a sub-inspector, an ASI and two constables were suspended following Nazrul's escapade.

 

It may be recalled that Nazrul, reportedly an ISI agent and a Bangladesh national, was arrested from Jaisalmer on 8 September in 2002, and was first produced in the Mekhliganj SDJM Court before the then SDJM, Mr Rabindranath Samanta, on 12 October. On 10 January 2003, Nazrul was offered a bail of Rs. 50,000 with two sureties of Rs. 25,000 each following a verbal prayer, but he failed to furnish the bail bond and has been remanded in judicial custody. The police failed to submit any charge-sheet against him within 90 days and so he was eligible to get bail from the court.  Meanwhile, he was produced in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup at Guwahati on 20 January 2003 in connection with another case and was remanded in judicial custody. Earlier, four of his aides who were arrested on 13 September 2002, were released on bail because of the police's failure to frame charge-sheet against them. []