Kutch: Will a Hindu youth from Pakistan and his girlfriend (also a Hindu), who eloped and entered India illegally before being nabbed by the Border Security Force (BSF), be eligible for relief under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA?
Under CAA, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Parsis from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh can seek Indian citizenship on grounds of persecution.
In this case, Popat (24) and Gauri (20), fled their homes in a village, about eight km from the international border on Sunday night. They travelled on foot and reached the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat’s Kutch district on Monday, only to be detained by the BSF.
BSF personnel patrolling near pillar number 1016 detained the duo, an official of the Balasar police station said.
While this may not strictly be a case of institutionalised persecution, the couple revealed during questioning that they had eloped as their families were against their marriage.
The question that now arises is whether they can apply for Indian citizenship. Since, both are adults, they have a right to choose if they want to become Indian citizens.
An FIR is yet to be registered in the matter and consultations are on, the official said. This is the second such incident in two months. On October 8, a couple were similarly detained at the border.
