Bengaluru Man Detained Again Despite High Court Order in Anti-Immigrant Drive
BENGALURU: A 32-year-old West Bengal man, who was earlier cleared by the Karnataka High Court of allegations that he was an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant, has been detained once again by the Bengaluru City police during a recent drive against foreign nationals staying without valid documents. He was released the same day after activists drew the police's attention to the court order.
Rafikul Biswas, a resident of Bengaluru for the past 12 years, was picked up on August 8 during 'Operation Mukta', the city police's initiative against illegal immigrants. This came just four days after the High Court of Karnataka held that the EPIC (voter card) issued to him following a Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal was genuine, and quashed the case against him.
Biswas, originally from Nadia district in West Bengal, said he was detained even after he repeatedly showed the police a copy of the High Court order. "I consistently pleaded with the police, showing a copy of the High Court order that had quashed my case. It is better I die. I cannot live under this pressure and stress to prove that I am an Indian," he said. He was released later that day after activists intervened and explained the court order to the police.
The ordeal began 11 months ago, when an unknown person allegedly created a Bangladeshi identity card in his name, claiming he was a citizen of Bangladesh living in India. Biswas said that since then he has faced consistent harassment, including threats of deportation. The case involved an investigation into his family history and the intervention of the then West Bengal government, when the Trinamool Congress was in power.
During the 11 months, Biswas said he suffered two heart attacks due to stress, one while he was in jail. He was later released on medical grounds and treated at Jayadeva Hospital in Bengaluru.
After the High Court order, Biswas believed he would no longer have to prove his citizenship. "After showing all possible documents, getting beaten up a number of times, and receiving the High Court order, I believed this would never happen again, but within days, the Bandepalya police came for me again," he said.
Biswas, who worked as a school bus driver for a private school until the allegations surfaced, said he lost his job and now earns a living by collecting scrap. He lives in Bengaluru with his wife and daughter. "Where I belong, only men can work and women are not allowed to leave their homes without their husbands. The payment isn't fair too. We came to Bengaluru so that both my wife and I could earn our meals and our daughter could study. But now, we are scared to live here," he said.
Biswas also expressed frustration at the assumptions he faces. "Every time someone asks us where we are from, our fear cannot be described. Once you say West Bengal and if you're a Muslim, the instant reply is, 'Go to Bangladesh'. What does it take to prove that we are Indians?" he asked.
The Bengaluru City police have not yet issued an official statement on the detention. The incident highlights the challenges faced by individuals who become subject to immigration verification drives, particularly when their documents have already been legally validated. Legal experts note that while such operations are intended to enforce immigration laws, they must be conducted in accordance with court orders and with due regard to individual rights.
