Thane court orders deportation of Bangladeshi national booked for illegal stay

Thane: A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has ordered the deportation of a Bangladeshi man accused of illegally entering and residing in India without valid documents.

Additional sessions judge G T Pawar sentenced the accused, Vimal Ranjeet Vishwas, to one year and 54 days of imprisonment, which he had already served in custody, and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on him.

The court also ordered his deportation to Bangladesh after completion of legal formalities.

A copy of the order dated March 5 was made available on Monday.

As per the case details, the police apprehended Vishwas, who was working in an industrial area in Bhayander, on January 9, 2024.

Investigations revealed that the man was working without valid Indian citizenship documents, and he admitted to being a Bangladeshi national who entered India illegally by paying Rs 20,000 to an agent.

Judge Pawar emphasised that under section 9 of the Foreigners Act, the burden of proof lies on the accused to establish his legal status in India.

"Neither during the investigation nor the trial did the accused provide any documents proving Indian citizenship or valid entry into India," the court said in the order.

Since Vishwas had already served his sentence, the court directed authorities to ensure his immediate deportation to Bangladesh.