Mumbai court rejects bail plea of man suspected to be Myanmar national, cites calls to relatives in Bangladesh

“In case the accused is released, it would amount to giving permission to the accused to stay here without a valid Visa. Further, the possibility of tampering with the witnesses and fleeing away from the proceeding cannot be ruled out. If the accused is absconding, there will be a great fatal to proceedings [sic],” Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate K S Zanwar said in his order.

During the hearing, the Mumbai Police opposed Rafiq’s bail plea, claiming that he had not been able to furnish Indian documents. Rafiq had relied on photocopies of his Aadhaar card and PAN card, but the court said that the mere existence of these documents cannot be treated as sufficient proof of lawful citizenship.

They also claimed that the investigation officer found a phone with a series of numbers starting with Bangladesh’s country code, as he had called his relatives from Myanmar, including an aunt residing in a shelter home in Bangladesh.

The police claimed that Rafiq had crossed over illegally to India with his mother because of poverty and unemployment.

Rafiq has been booked under sections of the Foreigners Act.