Guwahati: Mohammad Sonaullah, the Kargil war veteran who was declared a foreigner by a tribunal in Assam recently, has been discharged from his job as a Sub Inspector of the Assam Police’s Border Branch, it was announced on Saturday.
The discharge order cited the ruling of a Foreigners’ Tribunal at Boko in Assam’s Kamrup district declaring Sona Ullah as a foreign national.
“M. Sonaullah was discharged from service and is deprived from all the facilities as government servant with reference to order of the Foreigners’ Tribunal that declared him as a foreign national of post 25-3-1971,” said the discharge order issued by the Assam Police.
Sonaullah was apprehended from his residence at Boko in Kamrup (rural) district on May 29 after being apparently declared illegal foreigner by a Foreigner’s Tribunal.
His family had already filed a petition in the Gauhati High Court challenging the order passed by the Foreigners’ Tribunal declaring him as a foreign national.
Police have also seized the uniform and other kit which were allotted to Sonaullah.
Sonaullah’s advocate Sahidul Islam said that they have filed a petition challenging the order passed by Foreigners’ Tribunal on Friday.
“We have sufficient documents to prove his Indian identity,” he added.
Sonaullah had served in the Indian Army for 30 years and upon retirement as Honorary Captain in 2017, took up a job with the Assam Police.
Born in July 30, 1967 to Mohammed Ali, a resident of Kalahiklash village under Boko area in Kamrup, he, as per records, joined the Indian Army in 1987.
He also received a Presidents’ Certificate in 2014 for his promotion to a Junior Commissioned Officer with effect from 2012.
Mistaken identity angle
Four days after a former Army officer and a serving Assam Police sub-inspector Md Sonaullah was held after being declared an illegal foreigner, the investigating officer (IO) of the original case has claimed that there has been a case of mistaken identity.
IO Chandramal Das, who had investigated the case against one Sanaullah’ citizenship credentials, told TV channels here on Ssturday that the person who has been apprehended is not the same person he had interrogated as Sanaullah in 2008.
Talking to local TV channels, Das said, “I had carried out the investigation in 2008. I can say with surety that the person who has been apprehended as a foreigner is not the one I had investigated.”
“It could be a case of mistaken identity due to which this former army personnel, Sanaullah, has been apprehended instead of his namesake,” Das added.
He further claimed that the person he had questioned was a daily-wage earner. (Agencies)
