Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Nov 30: A Bandra couple who had spent 28 days in jail on charges of illegally staying in the country were granted bail by a session court.

The couple are said to have lived in India for at least 28 years. Lal Singh Vishwakarma (56) is said to be from Nepal while his wife Sunita Vishwakarma (48) a Bangladeshi. The court relied on a high court order to say that until the allegations made against them are established in a fulldressed trial, they are entitled to be released on bail.

Granting bail to the couple, judge R M Sadrani said, "It is clear that applicants are residing at least from 28 years in India. Applicants are having some documents like PAN card and Aadhar card issued by the government of India. Trial will take time to commence." The couple was asked to furnish detailed address and phone number while granting bail.

Prior to residing in Mumbai, the couple lived in Punjab from 1949 and shifted to the city in 1965 and married his wife, a Bangladeshi, his advocates A Z Mookhtiar and Adnan A Mookhtiar submitted while seeking their bail. The defence also submitted that even assuming the case of the prosecution to be true, no document is required for a person coming from Nepal to India as per the treaties between the two countries.

The defence claimed that the couple were falsely implicated through incorrect information by people who wanted to grab their house and property.

The prosecution opposed the bail plea and said, "Even the applicants have not produced school-leaving certificates. Applicants are residing in India from the last 28 years illegally."

Granting bail, the court directed to couple to be present in Bandra police station whenever summoned and ordered them not to leave the country withour permission from the court."