Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Agartala: The Tripura High Court has ordered the repatriation of nine Bangladeshi nationals who were convicted for crossing into India illegally. Justice T. Amarnath Goud modified their sentences to time served, effectively ending their prison terms while shifting their status to detainees awaiting deportation. Prison authorities will now hold the group as custodians rather than convicts until they are sent home.
The ruling clears three separate criminal appeals regarding cases from the Unakoti and Dhalai districts. Those convicted include Sheikh Mahammad Rubel Miah, his wife Asma Begam, and Dulal Miah, all from Moulvibazar district. The group also includes Sudhir Chandra Sarkar, Adhir Chandra Sarkar, Sankar Chandra Sarkar, Sarathi Sarkar, and Geeta Sarkar, along with one additional woman who challenged her conviction in a separate appeal. The appellants faced charges under the Foreigners Act of 1946 and various Passport Acts.
Public Prosecutor Raju Datta told the court the state government had no problem with the move. The court took a lenient view because these were first-time offenses. Judges noted that keeping the group behind bars would cause unnecessary hardship for their families in Bangladesh. The ruling specifically highlighted the dependents of the female convicts.
The court’s order is clear. "The appellants shall continue to be in the prison not as convicts and the prison authority shall act as a custodian for them until they are repatriated to their own country," the judgment stated. Authorities must now move to complete the transfer as soon as procedural arrangements are finished.
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