JALNA, (Maharashtra) April 2: A court in Maharashtra’s Jalna district has sentenced three Bangladeshi nationals to one year of rigorous imprisonment for staying in India illegally.
Judicial Magistrate First Class R V Patil convicted Imad Hussain Mohammed (26), Humayun Kabir (40) and Manik Khan (42), and sentenced them on Monday.The police had conducted a raid at Anwapada in Bhokardan in December 2024, where they found the three Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally. The trio was arrested and booked under different sections, government pleader A N Gavali said.
The three men had entered India illegally to seek employment and were working at a stone crusher unit in Bhokardan. During the investigation, it was found that they had forged Indian documents, including Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, ATM cards and bank passbooks. They were found to be without valid passports and visas, investigation officer Santosh Mane said.
The police registered a case against them at Paradh police station, he said.
During the trial, the convicts admitted to having entered India for livelihood purposes to support their families, and expressed their willingness to return to Bangladesh.
Defence advocate H H Mehta sought leniency, citing their poverty and intent to return to their native country. He requested the court to impose the minimum sentence to facilitate their return.
After hearing both sides, the judge sentenced the trio under the Foreigners Act, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to one year of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 500 on each.
Additionally, under section 318 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 264 of the BNSS, they were sentenced to six months of imprisonment. A further six-month sentence was imposed under sections 336 read with 3(5) of the BNS and 264 of the BNSS, along with a fine of Rs 1,000. All sentences will run concurrently.
The convicts have already served three months in jail and will have to complete the remaining nine months of their sentence. Following the completion of their term, the police will initiate the deportation process to Bangladesh, the government pleader said. (PTI)
