By Mirza Mosaraf Hossain, TwoCircles.net
The four workers from West Bengal who had been arrested on charges of being illegal Bangladeshis in Thane district of Maharashtra were released from the jail by the Thane Court after they proved their Indian citizenship. The four workers had to spend around 71 days in jail over the false accusations. However, six other workers from West Bengal who were arrested in Mumbai on similar charges continue to languish in jail due to the inaction of the Mumbai Police even after they submitted documents which prove they are Indians.
The four workers were arrested on December 14 from Thane, where they worked in a fish market. The workers, who are from East Burdwan district, were accused under Section 169 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Kiran Keni, the Advocate who was looking after the case, told TwoCircles.net, “The Court ordered the Kalwa Police to release the four workers from the jail as the investigation proved that they are Indians. They don’t have any cases pending regarding this issue.”
While the workers expressed relief at the order, they nevertheless feel they were unjustly treated and had to suffer huge losses. Safikul Sarkar, one of the four arrested, said, “We are poor and that’s why we came here to work and hope for a better life. Since the arrest, we could not send a single penny to our families; rather we had to spend around Rs 1 lakh each over Advocate fees and other related expenses. On the one hand we failed to earn an income for three months, on the other hand, our families had to borrow money in order to release us.” When he was asked whether he was going to leave Thane and live in Bengal, he answered, “ what work will I do in Bengal? Here, I have a job that gives me enough to at least to make the ends meet. Besides, I have to reimburse the money that was lent by my family.”
Safikul says he wishes he could file a lawsuit against the Officer-In-Charge of Kalwa Police Station for the humiliations and insults he ushered upon the four workers. He alleged that the OC did not check their valid documents when they were taken to the Police Station. Instead, “I was instructed to sing our National Anthem and I was slapped by him when I nodded to one subordinate Police Officer’s claim that I am an Indian after he had checked all my valid documents. I know I can file a lawsuit against the OC but I have to stay here and earn a livelihood. Filing a lawsuit means I will dig my own grave and I don’t want to do that.”
As for the six workers who had been arrested by the Mumbai C.I.D on January 25 this year with the same reason, they are yet to be granted bail as they failed to bring either two locals in Mumbai for each of the arrested who would take responsibility for their bail or Rs 30,000 each as cash bai. The Killa Court 8, Mumbai instructed the C.I.D for their verification and asked them to submit the report by March 3.
But the C.I.D neither came for investigation nor submitted any report within the stipulated date. So, their families were forced to deposit Rs 30,000 each seeking one-month extension from the Court until the C.I.D submits their verified report to the court.
The East Burdwan district administration already completed the verification procedure and sent the same to the Mumbai C.I.D but in vain.
According to Ali Akbar Mollah, the father of Suman Munshi, one of the six arrested, “The S.D.O told us that the verified copies were sent to the Mumbai Police authority. But till now the situation is the same. The C.I.D officials preferred to be silent when we ask them about the proceedings. Instead, other Officials are harassing us by calling us Bangladeshis.” He added, “ the Court has given a one-month extension for the submission of the investigation report. Don’t know what is waiting for us as the C.I.D will arrest them again if the report is not submitted within the stipulated one month.”
Despite repeated calls and messages, Ravindra Sisve, ACP, Mumbai Special Branch did not respond to the questions posed by TwoCircles.net.