The High Court today ruled that informants and complainants must submit photocopies of their national identity cards to the police stations or courts when they file cases so that police can find them during investigation.

At the same time, the HC ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police to enquire into 49 criminal cases filed against a businessman, Ekramul Ahsan Kanchan, in order to find informants and complainants.

The CID has also been asked to submit the enquiry report to the HC in 60 days.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain why they should not be directed to find the informants and complainants of the cases filed against Ekramul Ahsan.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Ekramul Ahsan seeking necessary directives.

Petitioner's lawyers Zainul Abedin and Enamul Hoque Bosir told The Daily Star that 49 criminal cases have been filed with different police stations and courts across the country against their client Ekramul Ahsan, a businessman from Shantinagar in Dhaka, on various charges including murder, rape, torture of women, extortion and human trafficking in last 11 years.

Ekramul has been acquitted and exempted of 36 cases and proceedings of the rest are running, they said, adding that Ekramul has suffered in jail in connection with 40 cases.

They said writ petitioner Ekramul is now out on bail.

Ekramul told The Daily Star that a group has filed "fake" cases against him in 13 districts in order to grab his land, house and factory.

"I don't know the complainants and informants by face," he said.