Assam woman regains voting rights nearly decade after proving citizenship
Silchar: Anjali Roy from Assam has finally regained her voting rights nine years after proving her citizenship, ending a prolonged period of humiliation and deprivation of government facilities due to suspicions of being an undocumented immigrant.
Roy, along with her brother, was scrutinized by the Foreigners Tribunal in Silchar for lacking the necessary documents for police verification. Tragically, her brother's suicide intensified her determination to establish her Indian identity, according to a report by Hindustan Times.
After a three-year legal battle, Roy successfully proved her nationality in 2015. However, her name was subsequently removed from the voter list, which blocked her access to essential benefits and identification services. "I was denied food security benefits. I did not get Aadhar and could not open a bank account," Roy shared, as reported by Hindustan Times. Despite requesting election officials to restore her name on the voter list before the 2016 Assembly elections, she was asked to wait.
The situation worsened in 2022 when Roy’s 83-year-old mother received a notice questioning her citizenship status. Roy revealed that she contemplated suicide but refrained to avoid adding to her children's burden.
Social activist Kamal Chakraborty expressed shock at Roy's consideration to apply for citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Chakraborty noted that Roy's family felt they had no other recourse. Election officials mentioned that the voter list for the 2024 general elections had already been finalized, indicating Roy’s name could only be included before an upcoming poll. A by-election eventually provided the opportunity for Roy to re-register as a voter.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
