Ahmedabad: A juvenile court in Palanpur taluka of Banaskantha district on August 21 ordered the release of six Pakistani boys, who were arrested for illegally entering the country almost a year ago, police sources said in Ahmedabad on August 21.

Police said that all the four were released with immediate effect after the juvenile court observed that 'they had not committed any heinous offence'.

The six, all natives of Nagarparkar area in Pakistan, were arrested around August 19, 2002 from Mavsari and Suigam areas, and were booked under the Foreigners Act and Section 3 of the Criminal Act 9 (amendment) 1962 and were sent to judicial custody, Banaskantha District Superintendent of Police C R Parmar told reporters on August 21.

"The juveniles had no documents on them and said that they had gone astray when near the border. They have undergone the specified period for imprisonment for six months. There is no other offence against them and now that the court has ordered their release we will treat them as our guests," he said.

Parmar said that district police would now start preparing for the deportation of juveniles and would intimate the state and Centre in this regard.

He however, said that the deportation process would take at least three months to complete, till which, the juveniles would be taken care of by them.

The six juveniles were identified as Sava alias Chagasn Dehma, Koli Ramji Dayaram, Kishan Koli, Koli Prema Klavji, Koli Hira Prajapati and Sonu alias Muru Atra Koli.

PTI