Guwahati, October 1

An Assam-based retired defence personnel has claimed that the Foreigners’ Tribunal has sent him a notice asking him to prove that he was not an illegal Bangladeshi migrant, but an Indian citizen.Mohd Azmal Hoque, Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) who retired from the service on September 30, 2016, told the media yesterday that he had received a notice placing him in the doubtful-voter category.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)It also charged him with having entered India in 1971 without proper documents, he said. “I have served the Army for 30 years,” Hoque said adding that he had received the notice asking him to appear before a local tribunal on October 13 with relevant documents to prove his Indian citizenship.The retired JCO said he had missed the first date of appearing before the tribunal on September 11 as he received the notice after that date. He said he would appear before the tribunal on October 13.“In 2012 also, I had received a notice saying I was a doubtful voter, but I submitted all documents in the tribunal court and it declared me an Indian citizen,” he said.He said he was not the first member of his family to have been served with such a notice. In 2012, his wife was also summoned by the tribunal to prove her citizenship.The issue was brought to the attention of the Army by a twitter post of lawyer Aman Wadud. Replying to Wadud’s tweet, Major DP Singh notified the Eastern Command that said “necessary assistance will be provided to the veteran”. — PTI

Placed in doubtful-voter category

• Mohd Azmal Hoque, Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) who retired from the Army on September 30, 2016, has received a notice placing him in the doubtful-voter category
• The notice also charges him with having entered India in 1971 without proper documents
• In 2012 also, I had received a notice saying I was a doubtful voter, but I submitted all documents in the tribunal court and it declared me an Indian citizen, he claimed