A man claiming to be an Indian citizen has reportedly been stranded at Kuala Lumpur International Airport for nearly two weeks after Indian immigration authorities denied him entry into Delhi for failing to produce a valid Indian passport.
The man, identified as Aakash and believed to be from Jalandhar in Punjab, was travelling from New Zealand to India last month using a New Zealand-issued Certificate of Identity, a travel document commonly provided to asylum seekers, refugees or stateless residents unable to obtain passports from their home countries.
According to sources quoted by ThePrint, Indian immigration officials refused to accept the document as valid for entry into India after Aakash allegedly failed to present an Indian passport, claiming it had been lost.
He was subsequently placed on a Malaysia Airlines flight bound for Auckland but became stranded during a stopover in Kuala Lumpur after reportedly lacking a valid visa to re-enter New Zealand.
Indian security sources told the publication that authorities could not conclusively verify his nationality without proper travel documents.
“No one can be allowed to enter India without a valid travel document,” one source said, adding that it remained unclear whether the man had formally been granted asylum status in New Zealand.
Under New Zealand rules, a Certificate of Identity allows eligible non-citizens to travel internationally and return to New Zealand, but it does not replace citizenship or nationality documents.
The case gained attention after videos allegedly recorded by Aakash from Kuala Lumpur airport circulated online. In the footage, he appealed to Indian authorities for assistance, saying he had been sleeping on the airport floor without food, money, luggage or spare clothes.
“I was coming back permanently. My papers had not been completed and nothing was working out,” he said, adding that he had decided to return to India after his father became ill.
Aakash alleged he was held for two days at Delhi airport while authorities checked his credentials before being placed on a return flight despite repeatedly informing officials he no longer held a valid New Zealand visa.
“I don’t know what to do. Please help me,” he said in the video.
Indian security officials told ThePrint the matter could be resolved if the man successfully obtains an Indian passport through the Indian High Commission in Malaysia, with efforts reportedly underway to facilitate his return to India.
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