Thane Court Sentences Sri Lankan for Illegal Stay: A Legal and Diplomatic Affair

A Thane court has sentenced Arumahaddi Janith Madusangha D'silva, a Sri Lankan national, to one-year rigorous imprisonment for residing in India illegally. Following the sentence, the 36-year-old is to be deported back to Sri Lanka, as per the order by Additional Sessions Judge Vasudha L Bhosale.

D'silva was convicted under the Foreigners Act but was acquitted of charges like cheating and forgery. The court noted that there was a lack of substantial evidence to support these allegations. He was sentenced to time already served since his arrest in January 2025, along with a fine of Rs 1,000.

The prosecution claimed that D'silva was found without a passport or visa at a hotel in Thane in January 2025. The accused insisted that he was Indian but could not provide documentation. The court held that the burden of proof was on him to establish his citizenship. Meanwhile, police couldn't prove the charges of forgery or cheating against him.