Pakistani Trader Stranded In Mumbai Police Station Awaits Deportation To Karachi

Mumbai, 20th February 2025: At the constantly bustling Mata Ramabai Ambedkar (MRA) Marg Police Station near Mumbai’s Crawford Market, a 65-year-old man wearing a pahadi topi and a pathani kurta has become a familiar presence. Sometimes, he is called upon to serve tea to officers and visitors, while at other times, he simply wanders the premises. Most often, however, he sits quietly, gazing at the traffic outside. At night, he sleeps in a vacant office within the station. “I don’t sleep much. My thoughts are always with my home,” he shares.

Nadir Karim Khan, a Pakistani national, completed a six-month prison sentence for unlawfully entering India and is now awaiting deportation, hoping to reunite with his family, whom he last saw in 2021.

As per his statement to the police, Khan, a cloth trader from Karachi, travelled to Kathmandu in November 2021 for business. There, he was allegedly scammed by local traders who placed an order for 3,000 leather jackets but failed to pay, causing him a loss of over 2.5 crore Pakistani rupees.

“They issued him a cheque, but it bounced. Despite his efforts to seek legal action through the Nepal police and other authorities, he received no assistance. As a result, he remained in Kathmandu for nearly 22 months,” said a police officer at MRA Marg station.

According to Khan, in September 2023, while pursuing his case, the traders he had accused assaulted him and stole his passport and other documents. Around the same time, Nepalese authorities fined him approximately $1,000 for overstaying in the country.

With no identification or financial means to pay the penalty, he allegedly decided to enter India through the Sonauli border in Uttar Pradesh. From there, he travelled by train to Gorakhpur and onward to New Delhi, where he sought assistance from the Pakistan High Commission. However, he claimed he was denied help, leading him to continue his journey to Mumbai.

On November 1, 2023, Khan reached Mumbai’s Dadar railway station and took a taxi to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) office near CST station. Over the next few months, he was held at MRA Marg Police Station and interrogated by multiple agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau and RA&W.

On April 11, 2024, Mumbai Police formally arrested him under the Foreigners Act of 1946 and the Passport Act for illegally entering the country. Following a court hearing, the Esplanade Court sentenced him to six months in prison and fined him Rs 500 on October 8, 2024.

The magistrate also directed authorities to arrange for Khan’s deportation.

Upon completing his sentence, Khan was released from Arthur Road Jail on October 11, 2024. However, as officials deliberated on his placement, the police’s special branch relocated him to the MRA Marg police station. He was also subjected to a restriction order preventing him from leaving the premises, as authorities feared he might go missing or engage in unlawful activities.

Senior Police Inspector Santosh Dhanvate confirmed, “It has been established that Khan is a Pakistani national. He was convicted for unauthorized entry and has served his sentence. We have reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs and have initiated the deportation process. A response is expected soon.”

At the police station, officers observe that Khan often becomes emotional, missing his family to the point of tears. When overwhelmed, he is escorted to the Special Branch office, which oversees deportation cases.

“Due to directives from higher authorities, he is not permitted to contact his family in Karachi. The last time he spoke with them was in November 2023 when he reassured them that he was safe with the Mumbai Police. We frequently see him looking at photos of his two wives and children on his phone,” shared an officer at the station.