A 43-year-old Muslim fish trader from West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district was allegedly detained by police and pushed into Bangladesh despite having an Indian passport and voter identity documents, his family told Scroll.

The case has also prompted human rights activist Kirity Roy to seek an independent inquiry, with Maktoob reporting that Barek’s family of around 23 people has been left without clear information about his whereabouts or legal status.

Abdul Barek, a resident of Gopalpur village of West Bengal, was first taken by a police team to Bhatol Out Post on June 2, according to his family and a complaint filed by Roy. His son, Jahidul Islam, told Scroll that the family provided Barek’s identity documents and that he was initially released after verification.

About 15 days later, however, Barek was called by police again and allegedly detained. Islam said he was first taken to Raiganj Police Station and later moved to a detention centre.

The family subsequently received a phone call from Bangladesh and learned that Barek had allegedly been sent across the border.

“We don’t know where he is and how he is spending his days in Bangladesh,” Islam told Scroll. He said the family has been unable to bring Barek back.

According to Scroll, Barek has an Indian passport issued in 2021, a voter identity card and his name appeared on the electoral rolls following the state’s Special Intensive Revision exercise. He also voted in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Scroll said it reviewed copies of his voter records, identity card and passport.

Islam alleged that police told the family Barek had been “proven to be” Bangladeshi but did not provide documents establishing that he was a Bangladeshi national.

Barek is the principal breadwinner for a family of about 23 people. He earns his livelihood through pisciculture and owns land, according to the reports. His alleged removal has left the family facing financial hardship and uncertainty.

The case has also raised questions about the circumstances of Barek’s detention.

In a complaint seeking urgent intervention, Roy, secretary of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha and national convenor of PACTI, alleged that police personnel attached to Raiganj Police Station and Bhatol Out Post took Barek into custody without providing an arrest memo or clearly explaining the grounds for his arrest.

Roy also questioned the apparent absence of Barek’s name from the available list of people arrested by Raiganj Police District on June 2.

The complaint asks authorities to clarify whether an FIR or other legal proceedings were registered against Barek, whether he was produced before a magistrate, and whether he was transferred to a detention centre or another agency.

It also seeks records including the arrest register, station diary, custody register, CCTV footage and documents relating to the seizure of Barek’s identity papers.

The complaint cited constitutional safeguards relating to equality, personal liberty and arrest, as well as the Supreme Court’s safeguards in D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal. Roy argued that any dispute over Barek’s citizenship should be resolved through due process and competent legal procedures.

Barek’s family fears that he was unlawfully removed from India and deported to Bangladesh. Roy’s complaint described this as an allegation requiring verification rather than an established fact.

The inspector-in-charge of Raiganj Police Station reportedly declined to provide information directly, citing the Official Secrets Act, and asked that the questions be sent by email. Scroll said it sent an email to the police but had not received a response when its report was published.

The Barek case comes amid broader reports of Bengali-speaking people, particularly Muslims, being detained in several Indian states over allegations that they are undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants. Scroll reported that its investigation had identified at least 16 Muslim men and two children picked up by West Bengal Police since June over such allegations, with Barek becoming the 17th man in its tally.

Roy has called for an independent or judicial investigation and for authorities to immediately disclose Barek’s whereabouts, legal status and physical condition.

“In a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law, no person can simply disappear after being taken away by State authorities,” Roy wrote in the complaint.