A Mumbai court on Thursday, February 20, acquitted a couple ( Abbas Shaikh and Rabiya Khatoon) after Mumbai police accused them of being ‘Bangladeshi Infiltrators’.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court said that an election card or voter ID is sufficient proof of citizenship as a person has to file a declaration with the concerned authority given Form 6 of Representation of the People Act, that he is a citizen of India and if the declaration is found false, he is liable for punishment.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate A H Kashikar on February 11 acquitted Abbas Shaikh and his wife Rabiya Khatoon Shaike. They were booked for breach of passport rules. The court noted that while Aadhaar, PAN card, driving license or ration card does not prove citizenship, a valid voter identity card can prove Indian citizenship, The Tribune reported.

‘…..while applying for the election card or voting card a person has to file the declaration with the authority in view of Form 6 of Peoples Representation Act to the authority that he is a citizen of India and if the declaration is found false, he is liable for punishment,’ the court said.

The court also noted that the prosecution had ‘utterly failed’ to prove the charges against the couple under Passport Rules and Foreigners Act.

According to the Mumbai Police, in March 2017, they had received a tip-off that some ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ are dwelling on Reay Road in Mumbai. The investigation had revealed that illegal immigrants entered India to escape poverty in Bangladesh.

S C Lingayat, Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the police argued that the couple had no documents to prove Indian citizenship.

The verdict comes after the Gauhati High Court’s ruling on February 12 that electoral photo identity card, along with PAN Card, bank documents and land tax-paying receipt cannot be used to prove citizenship of a person.

Also Read: Aadhaar Authority Serves Notice To 127 Hyderabad Residents To Prove ‘Indian Citizenship’