An Indian migrant worker was released today after being wrongfully jailed over two months for immigration offences.

Pajirudeen Pichaikani's release avoided the repeat of another controversy similar to the one concerning Nepali migrant worker Mangal Bahadur Gurung, who was not only wrongfully put behind bars but caned as well.

The government had come under intense criticism for this slip-up.

Pajirudeen, who worked in a restaurant in Pahang, walked free when the charge against him was dropped at the Shah Alam magistrate's court this morning.

Immigration Department prosecuting officer Kasturi Bai Venugopal told the court that she had been instructed by the deputy public prosecutor to drop the charge of illegal entry under section 6(3) of the Immigration (Amendment) Act 2002.

If found guilty, the 27-year-old Pajirudeen, apart from a jail term, could have also been whipped a maximum of six times.

Passport submitted

Yesterday, the Malay Mail reported that Immigration Department Enforcement Director Ishak Mohamed decided to withdraw the charge because the department had been furnished with the worker's original passport.

Pajirudeen's counsel Shanthi Nagu had submitted the passport to the department on June 22.

However, she had told a press conference three days ago that attempts by her client's friends to submit the passport to the authorities - when he was detained on April 22 - had been ignored.

Pajirudeen was held at the Semenyih detention centre briefly before being transferred to the Sungai Buloh prison for two months.

In tears

Contacted this morning, Santhi said her client was happy to be released and to have his passport returned but did not understand why his pleas of innocence were not adhered to earlier.

She said Pajirudeen was so upset by what had happened to him that he cried when seeking an explanation from the prosecuting officer.

"He had a chat with the prosecuting officer just before being released. He was in tears when he asked her why she had not listened to him especially when he explained that he was not an illegal and that he had a valid passport and a work permit.

"The reply he got was that the officer only received his original passport on June 22 and only then was the officer able to work on his case," said the lawyer, who also expressed discontent with the department's procedural irregularities.

Kasturi Bai was the same officer who had successfully prosecuted Mangal, who also claimed that his explanations and proof of entering legally into the country were ignored.