After three months, West Bengal court frees man detained on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi national - The HinduPublished - September 15, 2026 09:38 pm IST - Kolkata:Jalil Akhtar. Photo: Special arrangementThe court, while granting bail, found that all documents of Jalil Akhtar were valid and his name was listed during 2002 and 2026 SIRA court in Uttar Dinajpur of West Bengal on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) ordered the release of Jalil Akhtar, 66, who was detained three months ago on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi national Mr. Akhtar, a resident of Uttar Dinajpur’s Bagroi village, was picked up by the Dalkhola Police on June 20 and was lodged in two holding centres in the following days. However, his family members alleged his detention was illegal as he possessed all valid documents of being an Indian citizen. His name was also included in the voter lists during the special intensive revision exercise in both 2002 and 2026. TMC MP Samirul Islam seeks DGP’s intervention over alleged illegal detention of 66-year-oldOn July 4, he was handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) along with three other detainees to be deported to Bangladesh. However, Mr. Akhtar’s deportation process could not be completed despite two attempts. Although, the other three have been successfully deported. The investigating officer in Mr. Akhtar’s case failed to prove that his documents are invalid or forged and he entered India illegally. The police submitted that his voter ID and PAN card were genuine and that his records in the 2002 SIR list were also genuine. He was first got himself registered as a voter in 1995. Kochi police deploy 15-member team to trace suspected Bangladeshi manHowever, the State vehemently opposed Mr. Akhtar’s bail plea. “His bail may pose a potential threat to the security and interests of the State and may also give rise to an issue concerning national security. The accused has failed to produce any cogent and reliable document conclusively establishing his Indian citizenship. According to him, the documents relied upon by the accused do not, at this stage, conclusively establish his citizenship and the issue requires proper determination in accordance with law,” the Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) stated in the court. Representing Mr. Akhtar, advocates Syed Nafirul Islam and Firoz Ahmed argued that the investigators could not find that the documents relied upon by the accused are forged. On the contrary, the verification conducted by the investigating agency prima facie indicated the existence of the said records of his Aadhaar card, EPIC card, and ration card in the respective government databases.Directing the police to release him on Tuesday, the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) in Uttar Dinajpur called it an ‘unfortunate case’. The court also acknowledged that the victim holds all the valid legal documents to be an Indian national. “The APP himself fairly submits that there is no single document which, in every case, can conclusively establish citizenship by birth. At this stage, the contention of the APP that the accused has not produced any conclusive documents establishing his citizenship also cannot by itself, be treated as a sufficient ground for indefinite detention,” said ACJM Jamshed Shaikh while granting him bail. The court also stated that an allegation involving nationality cannot by itself and without supporting material indicating a concrete threat justify indefinite detention of an undertrial. Issuing his release order, the court, however, directed Mr. Akhtar to cooperate with the investigators. It also asked him not to leave the territorial jurisdiction of the court without prior intimation, except in case of medical emergency. The bail was granted on a bond of ₹10,000. Trinamool’s demandTrinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Smairul Islam, who had earlier also wrote to the Director General of Police (DGP) to intervene in the case, demanded action against the authorities concerned.“It is so pathetic that a person who has been a true citizen for generations had to face harassment only because of a vindictive attitude and suspicion of being a Bangladeshi national! He has been released today from the illegal custody he had been subjected to since June 19. In the order, the court has clearly mentioned that all the documents, including his voter identity card, Aadhaar and ration card, were found to be valid. My question is: why did the police not verify those documents before harassing him based on mere apprehension?,” Mr. Islam asked on XThe Bharatiya Janata Party during the campaign for West Bengal Assembly elections promised to identify and deport illegal infiltrators from West Bengal.Soon after coming to power, the BJP government has directed district magistrates to set up holding centres for detained illegal foreigners and released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said in June 2026 that 4,800 “illegal infiltrators” from Bangladesh, who did not fall under the ambit of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, had been deported to Bangladesh over the past one month.Published - September 15, 2026 09:38 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }