Kolkata, Oct. 7 -- The Calcutta High Court has upheld the authorities' refusal to allow a Bangladeshi woman married to an Indian national to enter India, after authorities found that she had obtained Indian identity documents through fraudulent means.
Justice Krishna Rao dismissed a petition filed by her husband, Prodip Bose, seeking permission for his wife, Srabonti Chowdhury, and their minor son to enter India.
Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi national, was visiting India on an X-1 spouse-based visa after her marriage to Bose. Her last visa was granted on September 25, 2025, and was valid till September 24, 2026. She travelled to Bangladesh with her son in April 2026 and was refused entry while returning to India on August 23.
The authorities told the court that Chowdhury had obtained an Indian voter identity card, Aadhaar card and PAN card through fraudulent means despite being a Bangladeshi citizen. Her Bangladeshi passport, however, was valid till September 7, 2027.
The court accepted the authorities' reliance on Section 7 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which empowers the Central government to restrict the entry of foreigners into India.
The court held that the authorities had "rightly refused" her entry. It also noted that her X-1 visa had expired on September 24 and that she had not applied for its extension.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.