Assam invokes rarely used 1950 expulsion law, orders five 'declared foreigners' to leave state within 24 hours

GUWAHATI : In the first known use of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 since its implementation was approved by the state cabinet earlier this year, the Assam Police are searching for five illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who were declared 'foreigners' by a Foreigners Tribunal (FT). The five, Hanufa, Mariyam Nessa, Fatema, Monowara and Amjad Ali, were declared 'foreigners' by the FT ex parte on 24 October. This was followed by an order directing their expulsion from India within 24 hours. The order, issued on 19 November by Sonitpur District Commissioner (DC) Ananda Kumar Das under the 1950 Act, required the five persons to remove yourself from the territory of Assam, India within 24 hours from receiving this order via the Dhubri/Sribhumi/South Salmara-Mankachar route. The deadline expired on Thursday. The case involving the five had reached the FT in 2006, based on a report filed by the Border Police. FTs are quasi-judicial bodies that handle cases of suspected illegal immigrants. The DC told this newspaper that the FT had issued the order ex parte as the persons allegedly never appeared during the hearings. He added that multiple hearings were held. The five came under scrutiny when they were residing in Dhobokata village in the Jamugurihat area of the district. The SP (superintendent of police) visited the location but did not find them. He will give me a report on this. As long as they are not found, the case will continue, the DC said. He said he had issued directions to authorities to delete the names of the five persons if they were beneficiaries of government schemes. The search for them will continue till we find them, he added. In separate orders, the DC stated, being a Declared Foreigner, your presence in India/Assam is detrimental to the interest of the general public and also for the internal security of the state. Exercising powers under Section 2 of the 1950 Act, he directed them to remove themselves from Assam within 24 hours of receiving the order. Further, you are intimated that in the event of any default in complying with this order, the government would be compelled to take appropriate action to remove you from the territory of the State of Assam, India under the provisions of the above Act, the orders said.