Pune police deport six-member Yemeni family for illegal stay

The family have been detected to have stayed illegally in Kondhwa since 2017 without a valid passport and visa

The Special Branch (SB) of Pune city police on December 24 deported a six-member family of Yemeni nationals, who have been detected to have stayed illegally in Kondhwa since 2017 without a valid passport and visa.

Police said the family had overstayed for five years and had violated the norms. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The deportees have been named Alkharaj Abdurabuateh, his brother Saudi Abdurbu Ateq Al Kharaj, wife Hebayahna Hussain, and their three children. The SB sleuths in its investigation stated that two brothers had come to India in 2017 on a student visa but did not pursue education. Since then, they were living illegally in Kondhwa and were detained by the Foreign Registration Office (FRO) under the aegis of SB in October 2022.

Following the action, the detained woman along with three minors were lodged at the rescue foundation shelter in Hadapsar.

The SB officials obtained passports and visas from the Yemeni embassy as their terms had expired. The deportees opposed their repatriation to their home country and filed a petition against the police in the Pune cantonment court which was rejected. The family then moved to the Bombay High Court seeking relief, but it turned out to be a futile attempt. The SB with the assistance of the Yemeni Embassy booked their flights and sent them to their native country on December 24 from Mumbai International Airport.

The action was taken under the guidance of Mumbai Police DCP (special branch II) Niyati Thakar Dave and Pune Police’s DCP (special branch) R Raja including ACP Ramakant Mane and Bhupesh Bavankar.

The deported family earned their livelihood by helping Yemeni nationals with medical treatment and other chores. The family had opposed their deportation citing that Yemen was unsafe but since they overstayed for five years and had violated the norms, SB officials said.