Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) A court Tuesday granted interim bail to a Pakistani, accused of entering India illegally as a spy, so that he could prove his innocence.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav granted two weeks bail to Imran so that he can place documents in the court to prove he has applied to the central government to permanently settle down in India.

“Considering the facts and circumstances of the case from a human angle, it (is) a fit case for grant of interim bail to accused on his furnishing surety and personal bond of Rs.20,000 each,” the magistrate said.

Imran and his wife Soofia Kanwal, who lived in Karachi, were arrested in December. Police said the couple entered India at the behest of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

Imran told the court that he was an Indian by birth and was living in Gujarat. He went to Pakistan at the age 15 and acquired Pakistani citizenship.

Imran said he was implicated wrongly because police gave false details about him.

He claimed he was arrested in November 2011 but police said he was held a month later.

Police had seized a Pakistani national identity card in Imran’s name, a Pakistani citizenship card of Soofia Kanwal, a driving licence of Gujarat, and an Indian PAN card.

Imran told the court that he returned to India to settle here permanently and urged the judge to give him a few days so that he could prove his innocence.