Five members of a Hindu family from the Sindh province in Pakistan, who arrived at the Mata Amritanandamayi Math near here on Friday evening, were taken into custody by the police for travelling without proper documents.
They were produced before the City Police Commissioner Debesh Kumar Behera on Saturday and served with the Quit India notice under the Foreigners Act.
Kishore Kumar, his wife Sangeetha and their children — Nikhil, Simram and Keerthi — reached the math in the evening for a darshan of Mata Amritanandamayi. The fact that they were Pakistani nationals travelling without proper documents came to the notice of the math authorities, who informed the police.
Mr. Behera said the family arrived in India on a tourist visa and was given a permit under the Foreigners Act to remain only within the limits of Thane district of Maharashtra and were directed to report to the nearest police station.
The family had arrived in India to visit their relatives at Ulhasnagar in Thane district. Mr. Kishore hailed from a family of Hindus in Sindh province that stayed back in Pakistan after the Partition. Sangeetha, originally from Ulhasnagar, settled in Sindh after marrying Mr. Kishore and since then became a citizen of Pakistan. Their travel outside Thane district was a violation of the Foreigners Act, the police said.
Mr. Kishore told the police that he was a devotee of Mata Amritanadamayi and thought of visiting the math and taking her blessings. The family was accompanied by Sangeetha’s brother Samith, who is an Indian citizen.
Police said they were also not carrying their passports, which was also a violation of the Act. But Mr. Kishore explained that they were ignorant of such a mandatory provision in the Act.
The Karunagapally police have registered a case and the family will be produced before the Karunagapally Magistrate Court on Sunday. The court will decide when they should leave the country. The normal time for those served with Quit India notice to leave the country is seven days.
