HC grants bail to ‘undocumented’ Bangladeshi woman accused of fraud in Faridabad

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday granted bail to a Bangladeshi woman accused of fraud who had been allegedly been living in India without documents.

The court noted that since the woman, Farida Praveen alias Shikha Gaur, might not be an Indian citizen, she may not be able to arrange for bail sureties. It said that the woman cannot be kept in jail “for an indefinite period” if she is unable to furnish a bail bond.

Justice Anoop Chitkara directed that if the woman fails to furnish sureties within seven days of the order, she can be released on a personal bond or a fixed deposit of Rs 10,000.

Praveen has been in custody since February 5 in a case registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to fraud, forgery and fraudulent use of a forged document. She has also been booked under the Foreigners Act for entering India without valid documents.

The first information against Praveen was filed in Faridabad based on the complaint of a woman named Santosh Sharma.

Sharma alleged that Praveen induced her son into a relationship and took away cash and gold jewellery. The counsel for the Haryana government alleged that Praveen had “prepared her Aadhar Card, Voter Card and PAN...

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