The move follows widespread outrage after DNA first reported on Sunday that Hoque has been asked by the Assam police to prove he is an Indian national and not an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant.
Assam Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay has asked a senior official to explain why Mohd Azmal Hoque has been asked to prove his nationality, who retired as a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) after serving the Army for 30 years. The Army's Eastern Command has also pledged support to its retired officer.
The move follows widespread outrage after DNA first reported on Sunday that Hoque has been asked by the Assam police to prove he is an Indian national and not an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant.
Sahay said that he has asked the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Kamrup (rural) to explain why a letter was sent to Hoque in the first place. "We will look into the matter and find this was done. There will be action taken in case of any error on the part of the police," Sahay told DNA.
Hoque is a resident of Kalahikash in Assam, a state where infiltration from Bangladesh has been a sensitive issue. He has been declared a "doubtful voter" by a Foreigners Tribunal which has summoned him to furnish proof of his nationality. The tribunal will hear the matter on October 13. The police have registered a case against Hoque, alleging he had entered Assam illegally without any valid documents. Hoque said that the SP had in May come for a verification to his house because he has applied for a franchisee of the customer service point of a local bank. "The same officer had cleared the police verification in the application process and verified my credentials," Hoque told DNA.
The Army's Eastern Command said "necessary help" will be provided to Hoque, after an Army officer tweeted his story to it. The Eastern Command tweeted back: "Thanks for your concern. The JCO has been contacted and necessary assistance will be provided till the issue is resolved." In another tweet, the Eastern Command said, "Thanks for the input. We certainly reach out to our veterans in need of assistance & a bit of courtesy from our citizens helps."
It is learnt that officers from the Eastern Command called Hoque on Sunday and pledged any form of help that they can provide.
Aman Wadud, lawyer-activist from Assam who has taken up Hoque's case, said that he has dealt with similar cases of government officials, who have spent years on the job, being asked to furnish details without any prior investigation.
"Hoque was never approached by any investigation agency and now he is being accused of being an 'illegal immigrant'. If a person who served the Indian Army for three decades can be harassed and humiliated in this manner, one can imagine what normal citizens go through," said Wadud.
"This is the story of lakhs of genuine Indian citizens in Assam who face harassment on a daily basis. At this point of time, there are more than 1,000 people lodged in detention centres without the probability of parole. Many of them will even breathe their last in these camps," said Wadud.
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