Infants and Teen Held as ‘Illegals’: Delhi Police Targeting Indian Muslim Family Despite Proof

Anusha Paul

Published on Jul 14, 2025, 09:22 PM | 5 min read

In the early morning of July 9, 2025, at around 7:00 a.m., six uniformed police officers, including one female officer, barged into the house of Salman Ali. Without providing any explanation, they took into custody his 8-month-old infant, 18-month-old toddler, wife, two of his brothers-in-law, and 17-year-old sister-in-law.

“I did not understand what was happening—everything happened so quickly,” he told Deshabhimani. He added that the officers claimed to be from the Seelampur Police Station but did not present any identification or provide any warrant for the arrests.

Among those detained are the sons and daughters of 54-year-old Amjad Hossain, originally from Madhubani, Bihar, and a resident of Loni, Ghaziabad: Akram Hossain (24), Asraf Hossain (23), Farha (17), and Fahmina Khatun (20). Also taken into custody were Fahmina’s two young sons, aged 8 months and 18 months.

Following the arrests of his children and grandchildren, Amjad immediately rushed to the DCP office to find out why they had been detained. Instead of receiving answers, he was held at the office for more than 39 hours without any explanation. During this time, the police reportedly attempted to intimidate him.

At around 10:00 p.m. on July 10, Amjad Hossain was released from the DCP office. Shortly after, he got in touch with members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), North-East District Committee, and, with their legal support, filed an emergency writ petition in the Delhi High Court.

The following day, on July 11 around 2:00 p.m., the court held a hearing. During the proceedings, Delhi Police submitted documents stating that the six detained individuals were identified as Bangladeshi nationals. They cited an order from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), dated July 11, which listed the detainees as Bangladeshi citizens.

The police also informed the court that the family was being held at Sewa Sadan, a detention centre located in Shahzadabad, Sarai Rohilla. The order claimed that the family members were staying in India “without valid documents” and had “failed to provide any suitable reason or supportive documents to justify their illegal entry.”

However, the family maintains that neither the police nor the FRRO gave them a chance to present their documentation. “But we are not Bangladeshi—we are not even from Bengal. We are originally from Bihar, settled in Delhi for years,” Salman told Deshabhimani. “At first, when I heard from neighbours and friends about widespread arrests of Bengali-speaking people—and even saw a video by Ravish Kumar reporting on it—I assumed there had been some confusion. I thought they would just ask a few questions and release them.”

names

(Birth certificates of the infants)

In support of their claims, Salman shared several identity and residency documents with Deshabhimani. These included birth certificates of Fahmina’s two children, both born in a Delhi government hospital; Aadhaar cards for Fahmina and Farha; and Farha’s Class 10 certificate listing the family’s address in Loni. He also provided voter ID cards for Akram Hossain and Asraf Hossain, both reflecting the same Loni address.

“How can they be Bangladeshi when I am an Indian citizen and my wife is an Indian citizen? We were never even given a chance to prove it,” said Amjad. Amjad Hossain has approached the Delhi High Court, challenging the arrests of his family members. “My daughter Farha was preparing for her Class 12 board exams. This detention has completely disrupted her education and future,” he said.

The arrest of Amjad Hossain’s family is part of a wider and deeply troubling trend emerging across Delhi and its surrounding areas. Over the past few weeks, a surge of arrests targeting Bengali-speaking individuals—mostly from working-class Muslim families—has been reported, all under the pretext of identifying "illegal immigrants" or "Bangladeshi nationals."

These arrests, often carried out in the early hours without warrants or prior notice, have led to growing fear among migrant workers. Many of those detained hold valid Indian identity documents, including Aadhaar, Voter ID, ration cards, school certificates, and hospital-issued birth certificates. Yet, police appear to be ignoring this documentation, instead branding entire families as undocumented foreigners.

In response to these unlawful arrests and intimidation, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued a strong statement condemning the "unconstitutional and arbitrary" detentions. On July 12, the CPI(M) sent an official letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding an immediate halt to such arrests and a high-level inquiry into the conduct of the Delhi Police. The party also demanded the immediate release of those wrongfully detained and a public clarification from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has also mobilised legal and political support for the affected families. Members of the DYFI North-East Delhi District Committee were among the first to assist Amjad Hossain in filing an emergency writ petition in the Delhi High Court. The organization has since begun compiling testimonies and documents from other affected families.

“We are witnessing a targeted witch-hunt of working-class migrant families,” said DYFI State Secretary Aman Saini. “This is not about immigration control—it is about creating fear, criminalizing identity, and scapegoating minorities for political ends.”

The Delhi High Court is set to hear the matter next on July 23, with the family hoping for justice and the restoration of their rights.

“We were born here, we live here, we vote here. My children are also born here—they will live here, study here, and vote here too. We are Indians, and we believe the court will see the truth,” Salman said, holding on to hope as his family remains in detention.