Fed up with Foreigners Tribunal case against his mother Shanti Chanda, Binay Chanda committed suicide at Tamulpur in Baksa district on September 9. File photo: Northeast Now

The recent case of suicide by Binay Chanda at Tamulpur in Baksa district on September 9 has once again brought to fore how unscrupulous elements are hell bent on branding innocent poor Indians as Bangladeshis. The tragic incident has raised many questions over the functioning of the police across the state in detecting foreigners.

Binay’s mother Shanti Rani Chanda was served notice by Foreigner’s Tribunal of Tamulpur in Baksa district in March 2018. The notice mentioned about SP (Border)’s Reference No BSA/13/27/09/299-318, Date 2/5/09.

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The notice said, “Whereas, the reference reveals that you could not produce any valid document before the police during enquiry/verification regarding your Indian citizenship within the stipulated period of time and whereas on the grounds made on the reference you are suspected to be an illegal migrant.”

Interestingly, villagers claimed no police had visited Binay’s house to verify the documents of his mother in the last nine years. Binay’s name was dropped from the final draft NRC for the pending FT case against his mother. He exhausted all the money he had to fight the case.

The FT summon issued to Binay’s mother. Photo: Northeast Now 

What surprises most is the Baksa Superintendent of Police Binay Kalita’s statement after Binay’s suicide. The SP has reportedly told the local media there that the foreigner’s tribunal had not issued any summon to Binay’s family. He was of the opinion that Binay had committed suicide due to poverty.

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If Baksa SP is to be believed then what about the notice served by the Foreigner’s Tribunal in March 2018?  Was he not aware of the fact? Or was he trying to save the face in the aftermath of Binay’s suicide as it has generated lots of resentment in the area?

Northeast Now tried to contact SP Binay Kalita several times but his mobile was found switched off.

Recently, a sensational judgment from the Foreigner’s Tribunal of Morigaon revealed how innocent Indians were harassed in the name of detecting foreigners.

“It is also observed by this Tribunal at the grassroots level through Tribunal’s own reliable source that Foreigners case at this juncture have assumed the form of an industry as each and every persons involved with Foreigners case have been trying to mint money by any means,” the judgment said.

 

Manas Roy is News Coordinator (English) of Northeast Now. He can be reached at: [email protected]

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