Indian Man Who Was Wrongfully Arrested Over 2003 Murder Case Has Been Released

An Indian man, Basheeruddin Mohammed, who was wrongfully accused of murder, has been released after being mistakenly arrested in connection with a 22-year-old cold case in Sydney, Australia.

According to reports, Basheeruddin was wrongfully detained by Indian police after being identified as a suspect in the June 2003 murder of Shoukat Mohammed, whose body was discovered inside a sleeping bag placed in a wheelie bin on James Street, Redfern.

At the time, authorities believed the perpetrator had fled the scene — and the country — immediately after committing the crime. For years, the case remained unsolved, and the suspect was placed on New South Wales’ Most Wanted list.

Just last month, Australian authorities believed they had finally tracked the fugitive to India. However, following further investigation, it was confirmed that Basheeruddin had no involvement in the crime, and was a victim of mistaken identity.
Speaking on the matter, his legal representative, Farhat Rehmani, stated: “There is a similarity of name between these two fellows, and this was a case of mistaken identity.

“He was very shocked and crying continuously for some two to three days,” his co-defence counsel M. A. Tousifoddin said.

Basheeruddin’s lawyer told the court that in 2003, his client was just 16 years old and didn’t receive a passport until 2016.

He also pointed out that Basheeruddin has never been to Australia.

Additionally, his father’s name did not match the name of the suspect, and fingerprint data provided by Australian authorities confirmed he was not the man they were looking for.

“The fingerprints of my client were also taken in the court, and they were sent to the forensic science lab,” Rehmani said to the 9news

“The report was brought in a sealed envelope, and when the envelope was opened, obviously it was different – all ten digits, they did not match.” He added

The lawyers representing the innocent man explained that his arrest was based on information shared by the Australian Federal Police through Interpol.