52-yr-old living in Mumbai for 38 yrs to be deported to neighbouring Bangladesh

Illegal Bangladeshis arrested by the Bhayandar police. Pic/By Special Arrangement

A 52-year-old woman was arrested by the Bhayandar police after it was allegedly discovered that she is a Bangladeshi citizen who had been residing in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region for the past 38 years. The woman's daughter told mid-day that her mother came to India with her family nearly four decades ago, married an Indian man, who died many years ago, and raised three daughters.

She urged the authorities not to deport her mother and said that if they must, they should deport the daughters as well. In a joint operation, the MBVV police recently arrested 22 Bangladeshi nationals who had been living illegally. Among them is Anwara Murasi Shaikh, 52. Her three daughters currently live in Mira Road. As per police, Anwara Shaikh entered India 38 years ago via a river crossing along the India-Bangladesh border and married Murasi Shaikh. A police officer said, "Anwara managed to obtain an Aadhaar card and a PAN card."

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Aadhaar, PAN cards of Anwara Shaikh, who is now arrested

Speaking to mid-day, Senior Inspector Jitendra Kamble of Bhayandar police station said, "Anwara admitted that she is a Bangladeshi citizen, but she did not provide any details about her daughters. We are currently verifying their citizenship status, as well as whether her husband was an Indian national. Anwara will be deported soon."

Anwara's daughter, who requested anonymity, said, "A few days ago, the police came to our home and took my mother away, saying she is Bangladeshi. Yes, she was born there, but she married an Indian man, and all three of us [sisters] were born in India. We studied in a hostel, and a church in Vasai helped us complete our education. We have no one else - our father passed away many years ago."

She added, "We have Indian birth certificates, Aadhaar cards, and PAN cards. The police haven't taken action against us yet, but they're separating us from our mother. How can she survive in Bangladesh, she has no one left?" "We request the police not to deport her. If they do, they should send all of us with her. We just want to stay together," she pleaded. "The police action doesn't appear to follow the law," said IPS officer-turned-advocate Y P Singh.

"Under the Citizenship Act, 1955, a person married to an Indian or residing here for 7 years can apply for citizenship. A Bangladeshi woman married to an Indian can also seek citizenship through registration if residency conditions are met. This seems driven more by emotion than legal principle. And since the children are naturalised citizens, there's no question of deporting them."