Dhaka: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed until May 13 the hearing of a High Court rule and other proceedings regarding Jaha Alam, who languished in jail in place of the real accused in corruption cases.

Chamber Judge Justice Md Nuruzzaman passed the order after hearing an appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenging the authority of the HC bench which had issued the rule, reports the UNB.

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said the HC bench which issued the rule has no jurisdiction to issue the rule as the HC has special benches for hearing cases related to the ACC.

The chamber judge also fixed May 13 for hearing the matter with the full bench of the Appellate Division, he said.

On April 17, the HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader asked the ACC to submit their internal probe report on Jaha Alam by May 2.The court said they will look into who is responsible for the imprisonment of Jaha Alam.

On March 6, the court asked for detailed documents of the 33 cases, in which Jaha Alam was incarcerated, and bank statements as affidavits within April 10.

On April 10, the court fixed April 17 following a time petition of the ACC lawyer.

Jaha Alam was freed from jail on February 4 after the High Court acquitted him in 26 cases in which charges had been pressed.

The jute mill worker had been behind the bars since February 2016 in ACC cases for misappropriating Sonali Bank money. The real accused, Abu Salek, is absconding.

Jaha Alam was released after the High Court issued a suo moto order and asked the ACC to submit case documents in the form of affidavits.