Photo Courtesy: tripuratimes
Agartala: A Tripura court sentenced 65-year-old Pakistani national Louise Nig Arthur Bhanu, also known as Louis Nighat Arther Bano, to two years of simple imprisonment. The Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate in Sabroom handed down the verdict after finding her guilty of entering India without valid travel documents. She must also pay a Rs 10,000 fine, or serve an extra month in jail.
Government Railway Police detained the woman at Sabroom Railway Station on October 11, 2025. She acted suspiciously. During questioning, she provided multiple fake identities before admitting she was a Pakistani citizen from Sheikhupora or Lahore. Inspector Apu Das of Sabroom Police Station filed the chargesheet on January 31, 2026, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Immigration Act, and the Foreigners Act.
Investigations linked the woman to a major international drug case. Kathmandu Metropolitan Police arrested her on June 6, 2014, for trafficking cocaine from Pakistan to Nigeria. She received a 15-year prison sentence in Nepal. She escaped that facility on September 10, 2025, during civil unrest. She then moved through Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal before arriving in Tripura via the Kanchanjunga Express.
Police noted the security implications of her cross-country movement. They recovered several mobile phone numbers during their investigation. Authorities believe she intended to cross the India-Bangladesh border before her arrest. Regarding her identity, court documents noted she was the wife of Md. Gul Faraj. The prosecution stated, "The convict, identified as Louis Nighat Arther Bano alias Nigo alias Nigat Bano."
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