Assam Woman Gets Indian Citizenship Under CAA After Detention

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Guwahati
• Mar 06, 2026
• 538

In a notable development associated with the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in Assam, a woman from Silchar has reportedly become the first individual in the state to be granted Indian citizenship under the legislation after previously spending two years in a detention facility as a suspected foreign national.

The woman, identified as Dipali Das, a resident of Dholai Hawaithang in Silchar, had lived for years under the uncertainty of disputed citizenship. According to reports, she entered Assam from Bangladesh on February 7, 1988, allegedly after fleeing persecution. However, the absence of documentary proof establishing her Indian nationality later led authorities to classify her as a doubtful voter and suspected foreigner.

In 2019, following her inability to substantiate her citizenship status before the authorities, Das was sent to a detention camp in Silchar. She remained confined there for nearly two years before eventually being released.

After her release, Das sought assistance from social worker Kamal Chakravarty, who facilitated legal support by connecting her with advocate Dharmananda Deb. The lawyer subsequently pursued an extensive legal battle on her behalf. Following prolonged judicial proceedings, the case was resolved in her favour, compelling the authorities to recognise her claim and confer Indian citizenship under the provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Observers have described the case as a rare and potentially historic precedent within Assam’s complex citizenship adjudication framework. It is believed to be the first instance in which an individual who had spent two years in detention as a declared foreigner was subsequently granted Indian citizenship through legal intervention.

The case has also reignited debate around the intricate process of citizenship verification and the functioning of detention centres in Assam, particularly in districts such as Cachar, where numerous similar cases have emerged over the years.