Kargil veteran failed to furnish identification: Govt

Kargil War veteran Mohammad Sanaullah had failed to furnish evidence before a foreigners tribunal in the state to establish that he is Indian by birth and this was the reason why he was kept in a detention camp last year, the government informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Sanaullah's detention had triggered a nationwide controversy and he was granted interim bail by Gauhati High Court last month.

He failed to furnish evidence before the tribunal to establish his linkage to his parentage on Indian soil prior to 25 March, 1971, and also could not submit proof to establish that he is Indian by birth, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said this in a written reply.

"The foreigners tribunal observed that none of the documents and their content produced by Md Sanaullah was proved by the authority concerned to establish the linkage about his citizenship. The foreigners tribunal found that Md Sanaullah failed to furnish the required evidence under Section 9 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, to establish his linkage to his parentage on Indian soil prior to March 25, 1971, and to submit any proof to establish the fact that he was an Indian citizen by birth," Reddy said.

A reference under the Foreigners Act about the nationality of Sanaullah, a resident of Boko in Assam's Kamrup rural district, was made by the local police. On receipt of the reference, a foreigners tribunal in the district issued a notice to Sanaullah and examined the documents and witnesses produced by him as per procedure.

To another question, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said there are no plans to impose a pan-India ban on lotteries.

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that currently lotteries are allowed in 10 states - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim and West Bengal.

"There is no such proposal under consideration," he said in a written reply to a question on plan to impose a pan-India ban on all kinds of lotteries.