The Panaji Chief Judicial Magistrate court has convicted Pankaj Chaure, an illegal migrant from Bangladesh following a voluntary plea of guilty and directed authorities to initiate proceedings for his deportation. The court sentenced the accused to concurrent terms of simple imprisonment, setting off the time he had already spent behind bars.
The accused had submitted an application pleading guilty. The court accepted the plea as voluntary after ensuring he had been fully advised of the legal consequences by his counsel and granted sufficient time for reflection.
During the hearing on sentencing, the prosecution pressed for the maximum sentence. In defense, the legal counsel urged the court to adopt a lenient view, highlighting that the accused was a young man eager to return home and reunite with his family.
Taking into account that the accused had remained in judicial custody for 1 year, 3 months, and 19 days, the court ruled that the period already undergone was sufficient punishment and set it off against the awarded sentences. Citing Union Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines concerning the deportation of illegal migrants from Bangladesh, the court ordered that the accused be deported if not required in connection with any other criminal matter.
The court directed that the convict be lodged in a detention centre pending removal from the country. The Foreigners Regional Registration Office and the Police Inspector of Panaji Police Station have been instructed to coordinate the deportation process and submit a compliance report to the court once the deportation is completed.
