PITHORAGARH: A US woman of Pakistani origin was sentenced to four years of imprisonment by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Uttarakhand’s Champawat on Thursday. She was found guilty of trying to “illegally” enter India from Nepal through the Banbasa immigration checkpoint in Champawat district on July 12, 2019.
Identified as Farida Malik, the 51-year-old woman, who claimed to be a singer and said to have visited India in the past, had reportedly left her passport back in Nepal and was on a bus which travels between Nepal and India. She did not have any valid travel documents and was held at the checkpoint. Notably, the woman’s Indian-born husband had deserted her in the US some time back.
According to police sources, a thorough investigation was conducted from all possible angles and nothing much could be established so far.
“Farida Malik is an American citizen. She was born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1968. Her family migrated to the US in 1984. They got US citizenship later in 1992. She visited Nepal last year and on July 12 was caught travelling on a bus which runs between Kathmandu [Nepal] and Delhi,” said Lokeswar Singh, SP Champawat.
“The bus was checked at Banbasa and Farida was unable to produce her passport or visa. So, she was arrested. A case under section 3 of the Passports Act and section 14 of the Foreigners Act was registered against her. At the time of her arrest, the woman said that she was a singer and travelling to the NCR. Information of her conviction has been sent to the US Embassy in Delhi,” he added.
Meanwhile, GN Thwal, prosecuting officer, Champawat, said that Farida was kept in Almora jail and got bail in January this year on condition that she would not leave India until the court pronounces a final decision in the case. Thwal added that she was staying in Almora at that time.
“The CJM found her guilty of violating the Passports Act and the Foreigners Act and gave her a four-year jail sentence along with a fine of Rs 30,000. Also, if she fails to pay the fine, she’ll have to spend a month more in jail,” Thwal added.
On Friday, Farida’s lawyer Chandan Kargeti said, “We will file an appeal with District and Sessions Court, Champawat, against the judgment. The woman was married to an Indian man in the US. The man left her. She doesn’t talk much about her marital status.”
Kargeti further claimed that Farida suffers from bipolar disorder and “we have presented her medical history before the court”.
