A Bengaluru man of Nepali origin has alleged that his passport was taken away by the police, a week after airport officials allegedly harassed him and cheated him of money.
On Monday, Beeru Bahadur (31) approached a senior police officer for help with his passport as airport officials had earlier claimed that it was a fake and questioned his citizenship.
However, when he met the officer, his passport was “cancelled” and the officer said Beeru needed a document from Delhi to prove his citizenship.
Beeru, however, says he was born in Bengaluru in 1985 and has studied up to Class 10 in the city. Under Indian citizenship law, any person born in India between January 26, 1950 and July 1, 1987 would be granted citizenship automatically. Different rules apply to people born in India after 1987.
When The News Minute contacted the officer in question, the officer denied any knowledge of Beeru.
Coupled with the events of the last week at Bengaluru airport, Beeru is a thoroughly confused man.
The back story
On March 21, Beeru was heading to Dubai from Bengaluru airport for a month-long visit. His return tickets were booked for April 23. Instead, however, Beeru spent over 13 hours at the Bengaluru airport – allegedly harassed first by immigration officials and then personnel of the airport police station.
"My flight was at 3:15 am and I was held up by the immigration officials till 6 am. They kept asking for my Nepali identification and I didn't understand what they were asking," he said.
"Immigration officials said my passport was fake and asked me whether I got it done through an agent," he said.
When they insisted, Beeru produced a copy of the ration card that he had obtained when he got married in Nepal seven years ago.
"They were issuing it to everyone in my village. I got one made for myself too as it would also help me in getting my marriage certificate issued in Nepal," said Beeru. However, this landed him in more trouble.
The immigration department then handed over Beeru to the airport police station where Beeru alleges he was harassed and that police took money from him before letting him go.
Beeru said that they told him to hand over his belt, passport, documents and his purse, which had Rs 2,950. He could only identify the police personnel by the stars on their epaulettes. “At first a 2-star (policeman) saw me standing in a corner and enquired what happened. He was told that I didn't have a Nepali ID. He just said it was a cheating case. A three- star inspector who came later also asked for an FIR to be lodged," he said.
Beeru's ordeal did not end there. He alleged that a “station lawyer” named Nandeesh and a station “typer” named Yatheesh threatened that he should pay up money if he wanted to go home.
"Initially they asked for Rs 90,000. But I said I can't afford to get so much, Nandeesh said he would check with the three-star inspector and decide,” Beeru alleged.
He said that the police agreed to let him off on payment of Rs 55,000. “My clueless father came with the cash that he got from selling my wife's and mother-in-law's jewellery and money borrowed from relatives,” he said.
Asked whether there was any CCTV camera around, Beeru said that the transactions took place either outside the police station or inside another room in the station which did not have a CCTV.
"There is no proof that we gave them money, but I have the bills of the gold that was mortgaged. When I asked for my purse they gave me an empty purse," he said.
"When I asked how I was supposed to get home, the lawyer gave me Rs 1,000. He also gave a one-star inspector some money before he could hand over my passport," said Beeru.
They returned the documents the following day after he submitted an affidavit with details of the documents and a notary seal, he said.