Anand:
A decade-old cross-border marriage has landed a family in legal trouble in Gujarat’s Anand district, with a Bangladeshi woman facing deportation after authorities discovered that she had allegedly entered India illegally.
Tarun Patel, a resident of Lambhvel village, met the woman on social media around a decade ago, and the two eventually entered into a relationship. According to the family, she allegedly crossed into India illegally in 2016 after facing family opposition and immigration hurdles. She later adopted Hinduism, and the couple got married.
The couple built a life together in Gujarat and have two sons, aged eight and two.
Their lives were disrupted during a recent drive by law enforcement agencies to identify illegal immigrants. During the verification process, investigators found that the woman did not possess valid immigration documents.
The Anand Local Crime Branch detained her on June 2. She is currently being housed at a women’s shelter facility while local authorities begin the formal deportation process to send her back to Bangladesh.
Patel has appealed to the authorities to halt the deportation, saying his wife came to India to be with him and build a family. He has argued that deporting her would separate the couple and leave their two young children without their mother.
(With inputs from Manan Hingu)
