Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Agartala: A court in Tripura’s South District handed a two-year prison sentence to a 65-year-old Pakistani woman for entering India without valid papers. The Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate in Sabroom delivered the verdict following her conviction under Section 21 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act. The court also ordered her to pay a fine of Rs 10,000. She faces an extra month in jail if she fails to pay.
The convict is Louis Nighat Arther Bano. She also goes by Nigo or Nigat Bano. She is the wife of Md. Gul Faraj and hails from the Sheikhupora district of Pakistan. Government Railway Police detained her at Sabroom Railway Station on October 11, 2025. Officers grew suspicious of her behavior and stopped her.
She lied about her identity during initial questioning. Eventually, she admitted she was a Pakistani national who snuck into the country without a passport or visa. She claimed she escaped from a jail in Nepal before entering India. Inspector Apu Das of Sabroom Police Station filed the chargesheet on January 31, 2026. The case, labeled PRC (WP) 03/2026, originated from Sabroom Police Station Case No. 32/2025. Prosecutors charged her under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Immigration (Passengers) Act, and the Foreigners Act.
The court examined all evidence before issuing the sentence. Officials confirmed her status during the proceedings, noting she entered India "illegally without a valid passport or visa after escaping from a jail in Nepal." She remains in custody to serve her term.
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