66-year-old Indian Muslim declared Bangladeshi despite identity documents, jailed for 3 months
Kolkata : Jalil Akhtar, a 66-year-old Muslim daily wage labourer, has been imprisoned in a jail in the Indian state of West Bengal for almost three months, where the police have declared him a Bangladeshi citizen.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Jalil’s family and lawyer have rejected the Indian police’s claim and told the media that Jalil Akhtar has several documentary proofs of Indian citizenship and long-term residence in the state.
Jalil Akhtar is a resident of Bagrail village in Uttar Dinajpur district. According to the family, he was arrested from his house on the intervening night of July 19 and 20 this year.
According to Jalil’s cousin Muhammad Matiur Rehman, the family came to know that Jalil was not at home the next morning. When the family contacted the police, they were told that Jalil had been detained in connection with an investigation. Later, on July 21, the police registered a case against him under Section 21 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and declared him an alleged illegal immigrant and issued an arrest warrant.
Jalil Akhtar has a voter ID card, Aadhaar card and ration card. According to his family, his name is also listed in the 2002 electoral roll, while the names of his father and grandfather are also included in the earlier electoral documents.
The family says that Jalil had also voted in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections and has never travelled to Bangladesh or any other country.
Jalil’s lawyer Mukhtar Ahmed says that the identity documents have been presented in the court several times, but the verification process by the police is being delayed. The lawyer added that at one point, an attempt was made to take Jalil to the India-Bangladesh border, but he was brought back after he was not proven to be a Bangladeshi.
Human rights organization MASUM has approached the National Human Rights Commission, the Supreme Court of India and the West Bengal authorities on the matter, demanding an independent investigation.
Jalil’s family says that he is sick and his prolonged detention has put the entire family under mental and financial hardship.
Jalil Akhtar is currently lodged in Islampur Jail.
