Additional public prosecutor Pramod Hajare submitted that the screenshots on the cellphone recovered from the accused, to show evidence that they were from Bangladesh. “The accused did not produce any document to show that they belong to India,” Hajare told the court. The court recorded that the accused entered India through clandestine routes from the Bangladesh border and travelled further by train before staying in Pune. The court relied on Section 9 of the Foreigners Act, which places the burden of proof on the accused to show that they are not foreigners, noting that the accused failed to discharge this burden. The court convicted all 18 accused with the benefit of set-off for the period of detention already undergone since Sept 1, 2023.The court directed that, after completion of their sentences, the state shall take necessary steps for their deportation to Bangladesh in accordance with law. It also directed police to file a supplementary chargesheet if the absconding accused, Summi Rony Shaikh, is traced.
