Kolkata: A 70-year-old man who spent nearly three months in a holding centre and jail after being detained on June 20 on suspicion of being an illegal Bangladeshi national was granted bail by an Islampur court on Monday.Jalil Akhtar, who produced nine documents, including his name in Bengal 2026 SIR electoral roll and EPIC card, to establish his Indian citizenship, faces a deportation order issued by the local Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO). Police took him to the border three times, but the BSF could not deport him as he maintained he was an Indian citizen.Islampur Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Jamshed Shaikh, in a six-page order, wrote: “From the materials in the CD (case diary), it appears that the deportation proceedings could not be completed as the accused…claimed himself to be an Indian citizen.” The magistrate also noted that a police verification report showed Akhtar’s EPIC details were available on the ECI-ERONET portal and in the final SIR 2026 electoral roll. His ration card and Aadhaar authentication were also found valid.The State opposed the bail, arguing that releasing Akhtar “may pose a potential threat to the security and interests of the State and may also give rise to an issue concerning national security.”The magistrate considered Akhtar’s age, lack of criminal antecedents, verified govt records and appearance in consecutive electoral rolls before granting bail on a Rs 10,000 bond. He was barred from leaving the court’s jurisdiction without prior intimation and directed not to tamper with evidence.His advocates, Firoz Ahamad and Syed Nafirul Islam, submitted evidence showing that Akhtar’s name has appeared in electoral rolls since 1995, including the 2002 and 2026 SIR lists.
