2 hrs ago
Bengal Man Granted Bail After 87 Days Over Citizenship Doubt
Jalil Akhtar is a 70-year-old man from West Bengal.
Police suspected that he was from Bangladesh and kept him in custody for 87 days.
His family showed documents that they said proved he was an Indian citizen.
These included an old land deed, voter records, an Aadhaar card, and a ration card.
A court checked the available records and found no sign that the documents were fake.
The court let Akhtar leave on bail after requiring a bail bond of Rs 10,000.
However, the court did not make a final decision about whether he is an Indian citizen.
The prosecution argued that releasing him could create security concerns.
A TMC lawmaker criticized the police for detaining him without stronger proof.
Seventy-year-old Jalil Akhtar spent 87 days in custody after Dalkhola Police suspected he was a Bangladeshi national.
An Islampur court granted Akhtar bail after authorities failed to produce conclusive evidence of his alleged illegal-immigrant status.
The court found no indication that his electoral-roll records, Aadhaar card, or ration card were forged or fabricated.
The court stressed that bail did not constitute a final ruling on Akhtar’s citizenship, which must be determined by the competent authority.
TMC MP Samirul Islam accused police of harassment, while the prosecution cited possible risks to state and national security.
- Who
- Jalil Akhtar, a 70-year-old daily-wage earner from Uttar Dinajpur, was detained by Dalkhola Police; TMC MP Samirul Islam criticized the action.
- What
- Akhtar was granted bail after 87 days in custody because authorities had not produced conclusive evidence that he was an illegal immigrant.
- Where
- Akhtar is from Bagrai village in Uttar Dinajpur district, and the bail order was issued by a court in Islampur, West Bengal.
- When
- He was allegedly detained on June 20 and released on Tuesday after 87 days; the report is dated September 15.
- Why
- Police suspected Akhtar was a Bangladeshi national, while the court found that the available records did not establish that his citizenship documents were forged.
Criticism of Detention
Prosecution’s Security Concerns
Strength of Evidence
Criticism of Detention
Akhtar’s family and TMC MP Samirul Islam said documents supported his Indian citizenship and accused police of harassment based on suspicion.
Prosecution’s Security Concerns
The assistant public prosecutor argued that Akhtar had not produced conclusive proof of citizenship and that the allegation involved serious security concerns.
Continued Detention
Criticism of Detention
The court said the absence of conclusive citizenship documents could not, by itself, justify indefinite detention, particularly because investigators found no indication that the submitted records were forged.
Prosecution’s Security Concerns
The prosecution argued that releasing Akhtar could threaten state interests and potentially raise national-security issues.
Citizenship Determination
Criticism of Detention
The court’s findings indicated that Akhtar’s records appeared in government databases and supported granting bail.
Prosecution’s Security Concerns
The court emphasized that citizenship must still be decided by the competent authority through the legally prescribed procedure, not through the bail hearing.
Key facts
- Detainee
- Jalil Akhtar, 70, a daily-wage earner and diabetes patient
- Period in custody
- 87 days
- Police action
- Dalkhola Police allegedly picked up Akhtar on June 20 on suspicion that he was Bangladeshi
- Legal provision
- Section 14 of the Foreigners Act
- Documents verified
- Electoral-roll records, including the SIR 2026 final rolls, Aadhaar card, and ration card
- Bail condition
- A bail bond of Rs 10,000
- Court’s clarification
- The bail order did not finally determine Akhtar’s citizenship
Quotes
Jamshed Shaikh
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at Islampur who granted Akhtar bail
“The contention of the Ld. APP (learned assistant public prosecutor) that the accused has not produced any conclusive documents establishing his citizenship also cannot, by itself, be treated as a sufficient ground for indefinite detention.”
telegraphindia.com
theprint.in
“From the materials in the CD (case diary), it appears that the deportation proceedings could not be completed as the accused, during the course of the deportation process, claimed himself to be an Indian citizen.”
theprint.in
Sources
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