The director of the Directorate of Sanik Welfare, Assam, has written to the joint director (grievances) of Kendriya Sainik Board, New Delhi, mentioning six reasons that led the foreigners tribunal to declare sub-honorary lieutenant Md Sanaullah, a Kargil war veteran, a “foreign national” after which he was sent to a detention centre.

In another development, Sanaullah was discharged from service as sub-inspector of the Assam border police after the foreigners tribunal at Boko in Kamrup district declared him foreign national on May 23, an official source said. The order to discharge him from service and deprive him of all facilities offered to government servants was issued on May 29 by the office of the special director-general of police (border), Assam.

The director’s letter dated May 31 suggests that there is confusion over his identity and the record held with the National Register of Citizens.

Of the six reason it cites, the first, titled Variation in the year of enrolment of Sub Md Sanaullah in the Indian Army, says the tribunal found his birth year to be 1967 and enrolment year to be 1987, according to documents submitted by him. However, during NRC verification, his enrolment year was recorded as 1978. This would mean he enrolled in the army at the age of 12.

“It has been viewed seriously against him for giving false information possibly to conceal identity/facts,” the letter says.

The second reason, mismatch in personal and family details submitted by Assam border police during questioning of ESM in 2008 and the statement by ESM before tribunal, says the tribunal had gone through a report and FIR lodged against the ex-serviceman (ESM) in 2008 by Assam border police. “The ESM said he was never summoned by border police to depose and was totally unaware of any FIR lodged against him for being a foreigner in 2008 by the border police. The old FIR and the report may have gone against the individual before the tribunal,” the letter says.

Thirdly, the letter says the tribunal found the age of the mother and sister of the ESM recorded by NRC at variance with that given by him — “Considering the year of birth of his mother and sister …it emerges that his sister is older than his mother as per NRC records”. The mismatch of age was taken against him.

Further, the letter says according to the land ownership document produced by the ESM and scrutinised by the tribunal, the land was transferred in his name in 1977 when he was 10 years old. The tribunal then questioned how land could be transferred in the name of a minor while his mother was alive after the death of his father in 1973.

The letter gives the fifth reason as discrepancy in voter ID card. It says the voter ID card issued to the ESM in 1987 showed his age to be 22 years, whereas he was 20 years old that year. The tribunal took it as wrong information submitted by him.

Further, the officiating principal of his village school, based in Boko (Kamrup rural), failed to give satisfactory answers to the tribunal, which may have gone against the ESM,” the letter says.

“The ESM said the tribunal did not take into account any of his service documents that would have avoided the confusion. His brothers and their family members have been cleared by the NRC,” it says.

When contacted, the director of the Directorate of Sainik Welfare said, “I cannot comment on this issue”.

Sanaullah’s wife, who fell ill with worry over her husband’s detention, was admitted to a private hospital on Saturday.