The personal assistant of former education minister Javed Khan and present employee of MLA Sayyad Ashraf Suhail of Govandi is trying to prove that he is not a Bangladeshi national as suspected by the police.
When the accused was produced in Kurla court, he apparently produced every document needed to prove he is an Indian. Copies of a domicile certificate, Indian passport and ration card were produced in court. However, the police said the documents are bogus. Evidence to prove their claim was produced and the case is being heard in the city civil sessions court.
Accused Shaikh Amjad Ali Noor Husain alias Babul, a resident of flat number 26, Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, has filed a case of harassment against the police and claims police sub-inspector R.L. Tripathi, attached to Wadala police station, is attempting to “forcibly extradite him to Bangladesh.” Babul filed a petition (No. 872/95) in the sessions court for interim relief.
In his petition, he claimed in 1994, officers of SB–I made inquiries against him and were convinced that he is an Indian citizen, after checking his documents. He told the court: “PSI Tripathi has started investigation again and wants to establish that I am a Bangladeshi national.” The case is being heard in the court of judge S.B. Phanse. In his petition, Babul said he was born on July 7, 1963, in Baranchina village of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal. He produced a school leaving certificate of Chhota Bolmari N.B. Primary School, Paitla village; where he claimed he studied till class V. He married Feroza in Mumbai on February 8, 1988, and has three kids, Shaikh Farid Ahemad, Shah Alam and Asma Firdous. On August 1, 1994, the regional passport office, Mumbai, issued a passport (S-981764), which proves his nationality, he told the court. Babul produced a domicile certificate issued to him by the 11th Kurla court on August 17, 1993. He said his name is listed in the voter’s list from Trombay constituency and he holds a voters ID (MT/ 07/046/1194488). He submitted a copy of his ration card to the court. However, the police told the court: “Plaintiff has given false statements and his petition is not only bogus, but an eye-wash.”
When contacted, the investigating officer of the case R.L. Tripathi, said: “The matter is subjudice and I cannot give details on the case. However, I can assure you we have all legal documents to prove the accused is a Bangladeshi national. We can establish that Babul forged documents to obtain Indian citizenship.”Documents submitted in court clearly show that API Tripathi took Babul to all the places in West Bengal when he was in judicial custody for 14 days. It was discovered that Babul’s school leaving certificate was bogus, Mr Tripathis said. “There are no records to prove the accused studied in that school and the head master’s signature too is fictitious as the school had never employed a person with that name,” he said. The police said there is no evidence to prove Babul was born in Baranchina village. Local corporator Chandra Kumar Ghosh has given these details to the Mumbai police in writing. His name is not listed in the electoral list in that constituency. The police produced documents in court which establish that Babul was born in Jatrabari Kandi village of Kandalpur, Bangladesh.
The police also produced Babul’s
school leaving certificate from Islamic High School and the electoral list,
which has details about him and his family. Police said the accused was
employed as a labourer with Haj Committee but no authority ever raised
objections to his nationality. In court, Babul admitted that he was employed
as the personal assistant of former education minister Javed Khan and presently,
working with MLA Sayyad Ashraf Suhail of Govandi. Public prosecutor G.K.
Karkera said: “It is a case of forgery and the accused is misleading the
Indian government. His parents and sisters were born and brought up in
a village in Bangladesh and still reside there. Then how is Babul an Indian
citizen? He has all the documents to prove that he is an Indian. Strange
that none of the departments from where he obtained the documents raised
any objections.” He added: “Strangely, the accused was issued an Indian
passport.” He said Babul can be prosecuted under Section 3A and 6A of the
Passport Rule, 1967 and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946. If proved
guilty, he stands to be deported. Authorities may also prosecute him for
forging documents and obtaining a passport and other documents illegally.
He will also be prosecuted for providing wrong information in the SEO form.