Jailed in Bengaluru as ‘infiltrators’, Burdwan couple dropped from SIR list
The Statesman | 12 April 2026
A couple from East Burdwan, who had spent nearly 10 months in jail in Bengaluru along with their infant son on alleged charges of being Bangladeshi infiltrators, are now facing a fresh struggle after their names were omitted from the latest supplementary voter list.
Palash Adhikari and his wife Shukla, residents of Tele village in Jamalpur, had travelled to Bengaluru in 2022 in search of work. They were arrested by Varthur police on 27 July on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. Despite producing voter ID cards, Aadhaar and PAN documents, the couple alleged that their papers were rejected, and they, along with their infant son, were kept in custody for nearly 10 months before securing bail.
Their return came at a heavy personal cost. Palash’s father, Pankaj Adhikari, who had spent his savings to secure their release, fell ill under stress and later died.
Now, after more than three years, as Palash was attempting to rebuild his life working as a private delivery worker, the latest supplementary voter list has excluded him, his mother Sabita, his wife and his sister from Booth 78 in Jaugram.
“We have voted for years. Losing that right has left us deeply distressed,” Palash said.
The case has triggered a political blame game. Trinamul Congress district general secretary Bagbul Islam alleged negligence on the part of the Election Commission and claimed the deletions were “targeted”. Meanwhile, BJP candidate from Jamalpur constituency Arun Haldar rejected the allegation, blaming the state government and asserting that proper citizenship documentation could have prevented such a situation.
Caught between administrative complications and political crossfire, the Adhikari family now awaits restoration of their names in the electoral rolls and their voting rights.