GUWAHATI — The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of two brothers, Abu Bakkar and Akbar Ali—both declared foreigners by a tribunal in 2017—was partially resolved on Wednesday after the Assam Police informed the Gauhati High Court that the duo is being held at a state police battalion in Kokrajhar district.
The revelation came during the hearing of a writ petition filed by their nephew, Torap Ali, who moved the court seeking information on his uncles after they reportedly went missing following a police call on May 25 to Nagarbera Police Station. The Assam government had earlier failed to disclose their location, prompting the court on May 29 to issue a notice demanding an explanation on the “arbitrary arrest of declared foreigners” and concerns over illegal pushback.
In response, a divisional bench comprising Justices Kalyan Rai Surana and Malasri Nandi was informed that the two detainees are currently lodged at the Holding Centre located at the 7th Assam Police Battalion in Saraikhola, Kokrajhar.
Taking note of the submission, the court granted the petitioner visitation rights to meet his uncles and directed the state government to file a detailed affidavit explaining the circumstances of their apprehension and detention. This affidavit must be submitted a day before the next hearing, scheduled for June 16.
The brothers were initially detained in 2017 after failing to prove that they or their ancestors had entered India before the March 24, 1971 cut-off date established under the 1985 Assam Accord. Subsequently sent to a detention camp in Goalpara, they were released on bail in 2020 under a Supreme Court directive allowing the release of detainees held for over two years.
Despite their bail status, their sudden and unexplained detention in May sparked concern and legal action from the family. With the court now granting temporary relief in the form of visitation rights, the next hearing will likely shed more light on the state’s handling of declared foreigners and the broader concerns around detention and transparency.
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