A housewife in Orissa has been behind bars for the past six months serving rigorous imprisonment for no fault of hers. She got implicated in a case because the actual accused happened to be her namesake.
By Sarda Lahangir
Jaleshwar, Sep.11 : A housewife in Orissa has been behind bars for the past six months serving rigorous imprisonment for no fault of hers. She got implicated in a case because the actual accused happened to be her namesake.
Such has been the fate of Binapani Mukhi, the victim of mistaken identity from Jaleshwar in Orissa's Balasore District.
Binapani Mukhi nicknamed Minati was picked up by the Orissa police on March 8 as a 'suspect' in a court case for processing and selling illicit liquor.
She was produced before the local magistrate as the 'accused' and was awarded two years rigorous imprisonment besides being slapped a fine of rupees 2,000.
The case was originally filed in 1997 against some other person called "Minati", who happened to be Binapani Mukhi's distant relative.
Gouri Shanker Mukhi, Binapani's husband pleaded many times that his wife was innocent. But his requests were not paid any heed to by the police who arrested and framed a charge sheet against his wife, the namesake of actual accused.
"My wife is innocent they arrested her without any faults. I requested them but they did not hear me and put her behind the bars. The accused is somebody else. They asked for money and I am poor. Now my lawyer is fighting the case," Mukhi said.
Following inquiry, the mistake has been confirmed and the concerned sub-inspector has been placed under suspension. The Director General of Police, Orissa, Amaranda Patnaik, said: "It is a serious matter and instructions have been given to start the process for releasing the woman,"
The case has been lingering for the last ten years. In 1997, Minati, the original suspect and accused, was arrested and later released on bail. On March 8, 2007, when a judicial magistrate issued summons, the wrong Minati was arrested and jailed.
She may be released now, but will there be any remedy for her maligned image?
ANI