Raiganj, Sept. 16 -- Akhtar Jalil (66), a resident of Bagrile village under Karandighi Police Station in North Dinajpur district, who was allegedly identified by police as a Bangladeshi national and taken to the India-Bangladesh border for deportation, was released from jail on Tuesday following an order of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court in Islampur.
According to sources, Jalil's identity documents and those of his relatives were examined by the court on September 14. After verification of the documents, the court issued his release.
Jalil's family members alleged that police picked him up from his residence during the night of June 19 without informing them. The family searched for him at different places and eventually found him the following day at the holding centre of Dalkhola police station.
The relatives subsequently met the Superintendent of Police of Islampur Police District on June 25 and produced Jalil's original identity documents and land records, seeking his release. However, according to the family, he remained in custody.
Firoz Ahamed, Jalil's lawyer, alleged that despite the documents establishing his identity as an Indian citizen, police attempted to deport him to Bangladesh on July 4 along with other persons suspected of being illegal immigrants. However, officials of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) reportedly refused to accept him as a Bangladeshi national.
"Despite having documents showing that he is an Indian citizen, police attempted to deport him to Bangladesh. After the BGB officials refused to receive him, police registered a suo motu case against him under the Foreigners Act on July 22 and produced him before the Islampur court," the lawyer said.
According to the lawyer, the court examined nine documents produced in support of Jalil's citizenship and identity, including his Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter identity card and residential certificate. The court also examined documents relating to his relatives and found the documents valid, following which the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate passed the release order.
The lawyer questioned why the documents had not been verified earlier before Jalil was allegedly detained and taken through the deportation process. Dulal Rajbanshi, convener of the North Dinajpur unit of the Voter Adhikar Surakkha Samity, which assisted Jalil's family, said , " Jalil had earlier lived in the Goalpokhar police station area and had been staying at his father-in-law's house in Bagrile for more than four decades.
We want action against the officials responsible for the alleged harassment of a poor person. We will continue to assist other people facing similar difficulties."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.