Patna, July 20: A man from Rohtas had to spend two weeks behind bars for a crime he never committed - just because of his name.

Raju Seth, 65, an egg seller, was arrested from his house at New Singhauli village in Rohtas on December 28, 2015, in connection with a road accident in which two persons were killed and many injured.

The court freed Seth on January 11, 2016. Soon after his release, Seth tried to know why the Dalmianagar police arrested him and sent him to jail. He was shocked to know that he was nabbed in a case in which a driver, Raju Gupta, was involved.

Gupta lived in the same locality as Seth.

The court issued a non-bailable warrant against Gupta on November 11, 2015, after he failed to depose despite several reminders. Gupta had a valid reason for ignoring the court's directive - he had died on April 14, 2015.

According to records available in the court, Gupta, 36, had appeared in the court last time on November 18, 2014. His family members submitted his death certificate to the court, which was perhaps overlooked and a non-bailable warrant was issued for his arrest.

A police team from the Dalmianagar police station, however, arrested Seth instead of Gupta.

"I was detained at the police station for two days and tortured in the police lock-up. Though I pleaded my innocence, no police officer paid heed to my repeated requests," Seth told The Telegraph on Thursday.

He petitioned the local court, seeking justice.

On July 18 this year, judicial magistrate first-class Manish Kumar Jaiswal issued a show-cause notice asking the Dalmianagar police station house officer to submit a detailed report.

"I have been shuttling between my house and the Sasaram court for the past one-and-a-half-years for a crime I never committed. It was a huge lapse on the part of the police. I was victimised for no fault of mine," Seth said.

The court has fixed September 6 to take up the case for hearing.

Seth's neighbour Ramashankar Bharti said: "Raju (Seth) is so poor that he can't bear the expenses of court proceedings. I support him in his fight."

Raju Gupta's elder brother Krishna said his brother had died in a road accident in Aurangabad on April 15, 2015. A case was lodged with the Aurangabad town police station in this connection.

"I know the police arrested the wrong man who had nothing to do with the case in which my brother was an accused. I have provided all relevant documents, including the death certificate, to the court where the case is pending," Krishna said.

For Seth, the wait for justice is more painful than the time he spent in jail.

"The day of my arrest is fresh in my mind," he said. "I don't know for how long I will have to keep coming to the court."