Octogenarian father in Kolkata awaits son's release from detention centre in Assam

An 85-year-old father, along with other family members, is eagerly awaiting the release of his son Asgar Ali from a detention camp in Assam on completion of three years there in July this year.

The Supreme Court had ruled last year that those foreigners who have spent over three years in detention centres in Assam can be released on two Indian sureties of Rs 1 lakh each along with the submission of verifiable address and biometric information.

Asgar, who worked as a carpenter in Guwahati Since 1980, was sent to Goalpara Detention Camp by the State Foreign Tribunal in July 2017.

Family members of Asgar, including his paralysed father Mohammed Jariff, living in Kolkata's Park Circus area have been anxiously waiting for him to be back home following the apex court's order last year.

Asgar's younger brother Arshad said: "My family has been residing in Kolkata for ages. We have voter ID cards and have been voting as citizens. My elder brother worked in Assam and earned good money."

Speaking about the family's ordeals, Asghar's sister Rajia said: "My father's name was Seikh Moral on the voter list. People used to taunt him because of his name. He changed his name to Mohammed Jariff in his voter ID card and Aadhaar card in 2008 by making an affidavit and that created trouble for us. We had sent all relevant documents to the tribunal but they didn't listen to us."

The family had moved the Supreme Court after they lost case in the High Court, but the direction from the apex court has raised their hopes that Asgar, who was the only bread earner of the family, will be back home soon.