Jannat Khatun Laheri, a 62-year-old woman of Haripur Municipality-6, has been languishing in Cachar jail in Silchar in Assam, India.

Laheri was arrested by the Indian Border Security Force from the Cachar district of Assam in 2018 on the suspicion of being a Bangladeshi. The Silchar court in Assam sentenced her to two years’ jail and a fine of IRs1,000.

Laheri was supposed to be released in 2020 but was kept in jail illegally after she could not provide proof of being a Nepali. Two months ago, when Laheri’s family received the information that she was in Cachar jail, they went there with the identification documents, but still, the jail authorities didn’t release her.

According to AS Banerjee, jail superintendent, Laheri can be released only after an official communication from the Indian state ministry and a letter from the Nepal government.