Routine charge, say activists
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Uttar Pradesh’s Anti-Terror Squad has arrested two Rohingya men from Ghaziabad district alleging that they were living illegally in India.
“At around 6 pm on June 7, UP ATS arrested Noor Alam alias Rafiq and Aamir Hussain from Ghaziabad,” the ATS said in the statement.
The ATS, which made arrests on Monday, alleged that Alam is a mastermind who brought Hussain to India illegally from Bangladesh promising to get him a fake Indian passport.
The ATS claimed that it recovered a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card and Rs.4,800 from Hussain. Similarly, a UNHCR card, Rs.65,680, mobile phone, Aadhar card and PAN card were recovered from Alam.
Clarion India contacted at least two activists who are active on Rohingya issues. They said they were verifying details of the arrests.
Ali Johar, himself a Rohingya refugee, said that all the Rohingyas arrested are generally charged with illegal stay in India. It has become a routine. Three months back the authorities in Jammu made a similar claim while detaining over 150 Rohingya refugees living in a camp, he said. The government intended to deport them to Mayanmar. However, the Supreme Court stepped in telling the government that it can’t do that without following due procedure.
Ravi Nair, a noted rights activist, said that he was still verifying the details about those arrested. Once he gets it, he will be able to comment on this.
According to the ATS, Both Alam and Hussain are residents of Rakhine State in Myanmar. In India, Alam was living in Meerut, while Hussain in Shriram Colony, Khajuri Khas in Delhi.
“The arrested accused will be produced in a court and taken on police remand so that information from them about their other associates can be retrieved,” it said.
The ATS also said it was on the lookout for Alam after it had arrested his brother-in-law Ajijullah, a Rohingya, on January 6 and registered a case under the Indian Penal Code, the Passport Act and the Foreigner’s Act against him.