Kargil War Veteran Declared Foreigner Released on Bail from Assam Detention Centre
Mohammed Sanaullah, a 52-year-old retired Honorary Captain of the Indian Army who served in the 1999 Kargil War, returned home on Saturday from a detention centre for foreigners in Goalpara, Assam. His release came 24 hours after the Gauhati High Court granted him bail.
A Foreigners' Tribunal had declared Mr. Sanaullah a 'foreigner' on May 23, following which he was detained on May 28. The ex-serviceman, who hails from Boko village in western Assam, reached his residence in Guwahati later in the evening. Earlier in the day, he was brought to Amingaon in Kamrup district, where the state's Border Police had lodged a case against him in 2008.
Mr. Sanaullah served in the Army for 30 years, retiring in August 2017. He then joined the Assam Border Police in December 2018 as a sub-inspector—a force tasked with detecting and detaining foreigners. However, the Border Police dismissed him from service on May 29, a day after his detention.
His formal release required the district authorities to obtain biometrics—iris scans and fingerprints—and conduct a health check-up, as per the court's direction. Mr. Sanaullah expressed gratitude to the court and those who supported him, but refrained from commenting further, stating that the matter is sub judice.
Mr. Sanaullah noted that the Goalpara detention centre houses 230-240 declared foreigners, many of whom are poor and unable to afford legal representation. He also raised concerns about hygiene and sanitation at the facility.
His wife, Samina Begum, described his return as an Id gift. She said the family observed roza during Ramzan but did not celebrate Id due to his detention, adding, 'Our festival has started with his arrival.'
