Teacher involved in NRC detained after found to be illegal immigrant

Morigaon, Aug 16: A government school teacher, who was involved in the National Register of Citizens or NRC exercise in Assam, was detained after it was found that he was declared an illegal Bangladeshi migrant by the Gauhati High Court in June, the police said today.

Khairul Islam was earlier declared an infiltrator by the Foreigners Tribunal, Morigaon. He was detained last night near Moirabari in Morigaon district, Superintendent of Police Swapnanil Deka said.

The district administration, which had engaged Islam in the National Register of Citizens update work, had on August 13 removed him from the job, Morigaon Deputy Commissioner Hemen Das said.

Following receipt of the Gauhati High Court judgement upholding the verdict of the Foreigner's Tribunal, Morigaon, police launched an operation to track down Islam and detained him near Moirabari village, the senior police officer said.

According to the procedure laid down, Islam will be sent to Foreigners Detention Camp in Goalpara district this afternoon, Deka said.

Islam, who was a teacher in the Khandapukhuri Lower primary school in the district, was engaged by the Morigaon district administration in Kolmoubari NRC Seva Kendra under Mikirbheta police station. He was one among over 40,000 government employees drawn from different departments for NRC work across the state, official sources said.

Several organisations, including the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad, the Krisak Mukti Sangram Samiti, the All Koch Rajbongshi Students Union, had earlier expressed concern over the teacher's inclusion in the NRC work.