A 60-year-old woman originally from Pakistan was arrested in Chandernagore in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Saturday for overstaying her visa by more than four decades. The woman, identified as Fatema Bibi, had entered India on a tourist visa in 1980 and remained in the country long after its expiration.
According to the police, Fatema was apprehended from her home situated behind the mosque near Kuthi Field following recent directives from the Union government to trace and act against Pakistani nationals who have stayed beyond their permitted duration.
Fatema, who claimed to have been born in Hooghly, reportedly came to India from Rawalpindi with her father in 1980. Two years later, she married a local bakery owner, Muzaffar Mallick, and settled permanently in Chandernagore. Since then, she has raised a family, including two daughters, both now married.
Despite having resided in India for over 40 years, Fatema never obtained Indian citizenship or a passport. Her family asserts that she had applied for Indian documentation. Curiously, they claim she possesses official Indian identity cards including a PAN card, Aadhaar card, and a voter ID—raising questions regarding how these were issued despite her foreign nationality.
“She came to India again in 1980 with her father. She’s now elderly and requires regular medication. Doctors have advised knee surgery,” said her husband Muzaffar Mallick.
Police records indicate that she had been marked as “missing” a year after her arrival in India and had remained under the radar ever since. Her arrest comes amid a nationwide crackdown on Pakistani nationals following the 22 April terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam. The Union government had directed that all Pakistani citizens residing illegally return by 27 April, with an extended deadline of 30 April for those on medical visas.
Fatema was produced before the Chandannagar court and remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody. Her family and local residents have expressed shock at the development and have urged authorities to consider her age, health, and long period of residence before proceeding further.
“She’s lived here for decades. We never knew she was from Pakistan,” said Akhtar Hossain, a neighbour.
India has ramped up scrutiny of overstaying foreign nationals, particularly from Pakistan, citing national security concerns. Legal experts suggest that the presence of Indian government-issued documents in Fatema’s possession could complicate her deportation or prosecution.
While the authorities examine her legal status, Fatema remains in custody as her decades-long life in Hooghly faces scrutiny under the shadow of strained Indo-Pak relations.
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