A 56-year-old Muslim man of Bengali origin, Amzad Ali, died on Sunday while in detention in Assam, months after being arrested in May during a crackdown on individuals declared foreigners. Ali, a resident of Rowmari village in Barpeta district, had been lodged at the Matia detention centre since his arrest and was suffering from cancer, which was diagnosed on August 11.
Officials said Ali’s health began deteriorating in August, prompting his transfer to Goalpara Civil Hospital and later to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. “Doctors had said there was no treatment for his cancer and he would receive only palliative care,” a detention centre official told Scroll. Despite a plea from his cousin Abdul Jalil for his release to receive proper medical treatment, authorities refused.
Ali, tagged as a “D” voter in Assam’s 1997 electoral roll revision, had been declared a foreigner by a foreigners tribunal in April 2021. His family said he was unaware of the ruling until police arrived to arrest him. They also said the tribunal dismissed evidence including voter lists from 1951, 1966, and 1970 that included his and his parents’ names.
Ali is survived by his mother, wife, three sons, and four daughters. His death is the second reported at the Matia detention centre this year; in April, 42-year-old Md Abdul Motlib also died while in custody. Government data shows that 31 people declared “illegal foreigners” have died in Assam detention centres between 2015 and 2022.
The Matia centre, India’s largest detention facility, has faced repeated criticism. The Supreme Court in 2024 described its conditions as “far from satisfactory” and ordered improvements, noting deficiencies in water supply, toilets, food quality, and healthcare. The centre became operational in January 2023 and as of September 18, 2024, held 274 inmates.
Ali’s death comes amid ongoing arrests in Assam, where several individuals from districts including Golaghat, Dhubri, Barpeta, and Cachar have been detained after being declared foreigners by tribunals.
