Justice Debangsu Basak of the Calcutta High Court on Monday claimed that all Bangladesh nationals entering India illegally have got Aadhar card, Indian voter card, and ration cards made for themselves.
While hearing a bail plea of a couple arrested in connection with a fake passport case, Justice Debangsu Basak observed: “All those Bangladeshi nationals who are coming to this country have Indian Aadhar card, voter card, ration card. Whether your client pays income tax, I do not know, but there are many Bangladeshis who pay income tax also. The Bangladeshis make fake passports and enter India and then they make Aadhar card, ration card, voter card.”
Dulal Sil and his wife Swapna Sil, who were arrested 13 months ago for allegedly possessing fake passports, had filed the bail plea before the Division Bench of Justice Basak and Justice MD Shabbar Rashidi.
Sil’s counsel told the High Court that the couple came to India in 2010 and had settled in Purba Bardhaman. They have genuine Aadhar card, voter card and ration card and also got a home allotted under the PM Awas Yojana, their counsel told the Division Bench.
Asserting that their clients are “genuine citizens” and didn’t enter the country on fake passports, the counsel said that documents to prove that they are citizens of India are not being provided to the couple.
Sil’s counsel since their client entered India before December 31, 2014, they do not fall under the Foreign Citizenship Act as per section 2 of the law notified in 2019.
Citing the recent deportation of illegal Indian immigrants by the US, Justice Basak said the couple will be granted bail only if they submit documents proving that they are true citizens of the country. “Don’t you see America is deporting back all those who had entered the country illegally. If there is any document proving that they (Sils) are true citizens of India, submit it and they will be granted bail.”
Recently, police have arrested nine people linked to the fake passport probe. Among those arrested included Samir Das, a law clerk at Barasat court, who allegedly charged Bangladeshi citizens for procuring fake documents; Abdul Hai, a 61-year-old retired sub-inspector from Kolkata Police’s passport section, among others. The racket, disguised as a travel agency, had reportedly issued at least 73 fake Indian passports to Bangladeshi nationals, facilitating their entry into India.