The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) apprehended a Pakistani woman (62) and her 11- year- old son as they were trying to cross the Indo-Nepal border yesterday during routine checking. The SSB after primary interrogation handed them over to the Kharibari Police Station under Siliguri subdivision in Darjeeling district.

The Darjeeling police after primary interrogation have arrested them and produced the woman before the Court of the Additional Judicial Magistrate in Siliguri with a prayer for seven day’s police custody for further interrogation and investigation. The police strongly opposed her bail plea apprehending that she may flee the area forever. Infiltration and exhilaration continue unabated along Indo-Nepal border especially via Panitanki- Kakarvitta in Darjeeling district.

According to both the SSB and the police, many people from foreign countries Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and other European countries tried to enter into India territory illegally from Nepal. Notably, the entire IndoNepal border is porous and a group of racketeers is active to help those foreign nationals for entering Indian territory without valid papers. Just to check infiltration of foreign national the SSB deployed at PanitankiKakarvitta corridor has imposed strict vigilance and restrictions since last year.

According to police records, the Pakistani woman, identified as Shaista Hanif, wife of Muhammad Hanif, is a resident of Gahanmer Street, Sarafa Bazar in Karachi. Her son is Aryan Hanif. Ms Hanifa confessed before the police that a group of people helped her enter India via Panitanki. Ms Hanifa took flight from Jyadda Abdul Aziz airport to Kathmandu via Delhi on 11 November this year by managing tourist visa, which was issued on 5 November 2023. Her passport was issued on 29 May 2022.

She stayed in Kathmandu with passport and left for Kakarvitta with her son by bus on 14 November. After arriving in Kakarvitta she tried to cross the Indo-Nepal border via Panitanki on 15 November. The 41 Battalion SSB officials, during their routine checking, asked her to show identity proof. Having failed to show her identity as Nepal or Indian citizen, the woman finally disclosed her plan to cross the Indo Nepal border. Sources said she with her son wanted to go to Kolkata to meet her relatives.

The police are verifying her statements and other documents she produced before the police. The police appealed before the Court that they would begin verification of her statements and documents which are important for further investigation of the case and especially to identify the rackets, who helped her, just to stop the influx of anti National elements, who are entering Indian mainland via this route from Nepal.

The Kharibari Police Station has registered a case (No 312/ 1023 / 15-11-2023) under Section 14 ( A) Foreigners Act. Police also seized belongings, papers including passports and mobile phone. The police seized 1,00,00 Nepali currency, Rs 16,000, Euro 6 and Riyal 16 from her possession. The Darjeeling police have also plan to verify Pakistani passport, Visa and identity her travel agents, sources said .

The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate has remanded the Pakistani woman for seven days police custody for thorough investigation. Significantly, the advocate of the lady, Sayan Ghosh Dastidar claimed that the Pakistani lady was originally a resident of Silchar in Assam. “As she was in Mumbai, she was trapped by a group of people. She had to leave for Pakistan with them. Her name is Gouri Deb. She managed to escape herself and was returning to meet her family members in India.

We want a thorough investigation to unearth the truth,” Mr Ghosh Dastidar said. Interestingly, the lady can speak Bengali very well. “I wanted a visa for India but I could not manage it in Pakistan,” she said.