Cooch Behar: A woman arrested on charges of illegal infiltration from Bangladesh was released on bail after spending six months in jail, following an application filed under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
Jaba Rani Sarkar, who had been living in Dhupguri since 2013, was granted bail by the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench after her husband submitted documents under the CAA seeking her release.
According to family members, Jaba Rani was brought to India by her father in 2013, when she was just six years old, and was left at her uncle’s residence in Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district. She continued to live there and later moved to the Lalbazar area of Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district, where she married local resident Debashish Sarkar in 2024.
Nine months after their marriage, local residents allegedly lodged a complaint accusing her of being a Bangladeshi national residing illegally in India. Police subsequently arrested Jaba Rani. Her husband was also detained on charges of allegedly sheltering her. While Debashish secured bail after 31 days in custody, Jaba Rani remained in jail.
Initially lodged in Cooch Behar jail and later shifted to Alipore jail, she remained behind bars for six months before being granted bail.
Debashish Sarkar said: “After nine months of our marriage, the police arrested both of us. I was released after 31 days. I then applied under the CAA and submitted the necessary documents before the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench. Finally, my wife was granted bail on the basis of that application.”
Her counsel, Sudipto Majumdar, confirmed that the court granted bail on a bond of Rs.10,000.
Speaking after her release, Jaba Rani said: “My father brought me to this country for safety. I grew up among Indian neighbours and always considered myself Indian. I feel relieved now.”