Soldier who fought Kargil war declared foreigner, detained

New Delhi, May 30: The family of a retired soldier who fought the Kargil war approached the Gauhati High Court after he was sent to a detention centre for foreigners and illegal migrants.

Mohammad Sanaullah was arrested soon after he was summoned by the Assam Border Organisation on Tuesday. He had retired as an honorary Lieutenant in the Army. He was arrested after the Foreigners' Tribunal adjudged him a non-citizen.

Sanaullah's son, Shahid Akthar asked how could someone who has served the country be treated as a foreigner and be taken to a detention centre like this.

Sanaullah also has two daughters, but his children are not on the NRC as they are descendants of a person who as of now is declared foreigner.

It may be recalled that in 2017, Sanaullah's cousin Ajmal Haque was served a notice, which the Assam police later said was a case of mistaken identity. Haque has been campaigning for ex-servicemen since then and said that a a soldier returns home after years of service and if this is the treatment meted out to him, then it amounts to murdering him.