The Rajshahi Cyber Tribunal on Tuesday fined a police official Tk 100 for not complying with the court order to appear before it to give testimony in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.

Judge Ziaur Rahman imposed the fine on sub-inspector Anamul Haque, said public prosecutor Ismat Ara Begum.

She said that Anamul arrested two youth and filed a case against them with Naogaon sadar police station under the Digital Security Act for selling fake exam papers of various public examinations including secondary school certificate examination through messenger in 2019 while Anamul was posted to Rapid Action Battalion 5 in Natore.

Ismat Ara said that Anamul had been summoned eight times to appear before the court, but he did not respond to the tribunal’s order.

‘Since he did not appear before the tribunal, the judge convicted Anamul under section 485A of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, and fined him Tk 100,’ she said.

‘The justice in the court is delivered based on evidence. It is the responsibility of the police to present evidence. As a government official, it is a legal obligation to testify before the court. Deliberately neglecting or rejecting the court summons or process for giving witness is a punishable offence under section 485A,’ the tribunal said in its observation.

The tribunal also stated that information technology was, at present, in everyone’s hand, and yet some witnesses lingered on appearing before the court claiming that they had not received the summons, causing further harassment of the litigant.

‘In this case, an effective app can be developed. Each district may have a witness auxiliary cell to present witnesses quickly in important cases,’ it added.

Earlier in March, the Rajshahi Cyber Tribunal fined Rawshon Ali, officer-in-charge of Aminpur police station in Pabna Tk 1 for not complying with the court order in a case filed over spreading rumour on social media during the 2018 road safety movement.