Ignoring an assurance by the Embassy of Palestine regarding one of its nationals arrested in the Capital for cheating and forgery, a city court has refused to grant him bail.

District Judge Gurdeep Kumar dismissed the bail plea of Basil Y Baradeiya (32), who was arrested on September 3 by the South Delhi police. He was charged with obtaining an Indian Voter Identity Card by fraudulent means.

Throwing out his application last week, the court maintained that Baradeiya did not warrant relief.

The Embassy had favoured his bail, issuing a certificate of guarantee that he will not leave India without prior permission of the court. Baradeiya’s counsel had also produced an opinion from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), supporting his release on bail.

During the argument, Additional Public Prosecutor Ahmed Khan had strongly opposed his plea.

Baradeiya was arrested from Kishangarh.

As per the FIR, he told investigators during interrogation that he had first come to India in 1996 on a student visa issued from Jordan. He got admission in Deshbandhu College and completed his graduation in 1999.

Thereafter, he was deported to Palestine but came back on a fresh visa and started living with his brother Wasim in Vasant Kunj.

After his visa expired, he was deported again. But this time, Baradeiya allegedly went to Jordan and obtained a visa to Nepal. According to the FIR, in 2001, he entered India through Sonouli border and started living with two friends in Lucknow.

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