The Tripura High Court has waived the remaining prison terms of four Bangladeshi nationals convicted in separate cases involving illegal entry into India and directed the state government to repatriate them to Bangladesh.
Justice T Amarnath Goud passed the orders on September 21 while disposing of three criminal appeals filed by the four accused. The court reduced their sentences to the period they had already spent in custody, taking into account their lack of previous criminal antecedents and the Tripura government's decision that it had no objection to their repatriation instead of their serving the remainder of their sentences.
The court directed that the four remain in jail custody until the repatriation process is completed, but said they would no longer be treated as convicts during that period. The authorities have been asked to complete the repatriation in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
Court takes lenient view in first-offence cases
The cases involved Ratilal Das and his wife, Binita Rani Das, as well as Lija and Mansura Aktar.
The state government had informed the High Court that it would not object to the four being sent back to Bangladesh rather than being kept in prison for their remaining terms. The court also noted that the appellants had no previous criminal record and that these were their first offences.
The High Court therefore modified the sentences to the periods already undergone and waived the remaining imprisonment. The order said the appellants would continue to remain in prison as custodianship pending their return, rather than as convicted prisoners.
Couple detained near India-Bangladesh border
Ratilal Das and Binita Rani Das, residents of Moulvibazar in Bangladesh's Sylhet division, were among a group detained by the BSF near Srirampur Manu Bridge in Tripura's Unakoti district on February 27, 2025.
According to prosecution records, a BSF patrol team apprehended 16 people, including 13 suspected Bangladeshi nationals and three Indian nationals suspected of acting as touts. The couple could not produce valid identity or travel documents and later admitted that they had entered India from Bangladesh.
The Sessions Court at Kailashahar convicted them on November 1, 2025, under the Passport (Entry into India) Act and the Foreigners Act. They were sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000 each under the Foreigners Act, in addition to a Rs 5,000 fine each under the Passport Act.
During their appeal, their counsel sought a reduction in sentence and repatriation, arguing that they had remained in custody since their arrest, had not concealed their identities and had pleaded guilty.
Two women detained at Ambassa railway station
The second set of appeals involved Lija and Mansura Aktar, who were detained by the BSF and railway police at Ambassa railway station in Dhalai district on October 6, 2024.
The two women were unable to produce documents showing that they were Indian nationals and were subsequently found to be Bangladeshi citizens. They were convicted by the Sessions Judge at Ambassa on June 4, 2025, under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Passport (Entry into India) Act. They had pleaded guilty before the trial court.
They had initially received prison sentences under the two laws, including a five-year sentence under the BNS provision and a separate sentence under the Passport Act, along with fines.
Their counsel subsequently sought relief from the High Court and requested that they be repatriated to Bangladesh instead of completing the remaining jail term.
After considering the state's position and the circumstances of the cases, the High Court modified their sentences to the periods already served and ordered the authorities to arrange their repatriation.
The four appellants will remain in custody until they are handed over for return to Bangladesh. The court has made clear that their continued detention during this process is custodial and that they are not to be treated as convicts.