LUCKNOW: After serving 17 years in jail after being convicted under the Official Secrets Act, Pakistani national Iqbal Bhatti was deported to his country on Tuesday.
The deportation comes after months of diplomatic and legal formalities.
Bhatti had been living in India with forged documents and a fake name, ‘Devraj Sehgal’, for two decades.
Bhatti was first arrested on August 8, 2008, by the Punjab Police in Patiala.
According to investigators, he was found in possession of sensitive maps linked to Indian Army installations and material considered highly confidential and critical to national security.
The arrest immediately triggered a coordinated investigation involving police and intelligence agencies across States.
During interrogation, Bhatti revealed that he had been living in Hakikat Nagar in Saharanpur under the assumed Hindu name Devaraj Sehgal.
Investigators said he had managed to procure forged Indian identity documents, including a voter ID card, PAN card and ration card.
Using these fake credentials, he opened an account at the State Bank of India (SBI), further strengthening his cover.
It was during routine document verification that the bank official reportedly noticed discrepancies in the paperwork that he had submitted for opening the account for the first time.
Bhatti was booked under Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act, a stringent provision dealing with espionage, and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, along with other serious charges.
While the Saharanpur police lodged four cases against him at the Sadar Bazaar police station, the Punjab Police pursued parallel proceedings in their jurisdiction.
Following the trial, the Saharanpur local court convicted Bhatti and sentenced him to imprisonment.
Due to security concerns, authorities decided not to lodge him in Saharanpur jail, which is located close to an Army camp, especially after the recovery of sensitive defence documents from him.
Bhatti was shifted to Gautam Buddh Nagar District Jail, where he ultimately spent nearly 17 years behind bars.
Officials said multiple cases and sentences were clubbed together, resulting in his prolonged incarceration. Bhatti completed his sentence in early 2025, and an official release order was issued on March 22, 2025.
However, he was not freed immediately.
Being a Pakistani national without valid travel documents, he was transferred to a detention centre in Saharanpur pending deportation.
For nearly 11 months, he remained there under strict surveillance while authorities completed diplomatic and legal procedures.
The Ministry of External Affairs reportedly sought details of cases registered in Punjab before issuing its clearance. Once all documentation was verified and coordination with the Pakistani High Commission was completed, authorities fixed the date for deportation.
On Monday morning, Bhatti was taken to the district hospital for a mandatory medical examination under heavy security.
As per the police sources, Bhatti was escorted under tight security to the Attari border, and he was formally handed over to Pakistani Rangers after completion of cross-border paperwork.