Cannot live like this, says West Bengal man detained again in ‘illegal immigrants’ drive
Rafikul Biswas, an Indian citizen from West Bengal, was repeatedly detained by Bengaluru police during an anti-illegal immigrant drive despite holding a court order confirming his citizenship. The repeated harassment has caused him severe physical and mental health issues.
Why it matters
The case highlights systemic issues in immigration enforcement and the vulnerability of internal migrants to profiling and administrative errors.
Four days after the High Court of Karnataka held that the EPIC (voter card) issued to him following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal was “genuine”, Rafikul Biswas, 32, who had been framed as an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant living in Bengaluru, found himself in jail again when the Bengaluru City police launched “Operation Mukta”, a drive against illegal immigrants.
While he got relief in a previous case of detention on August 4, 2026, he was again detained during Operation Mukta on August 8. “I consistently pleaded with the police, showing a copy of the High Court order that had quashed my case. It is better I die. I cannot live under this pressure and stress to prove that I am an Indian,” he said. He was finally released after activists persuaded the police about the recent High Court order, the same day.
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