He was jailed in Bengaluru, fought the police from Japan — and found love along the way | Bangalore News

Even after being deported from India, Tanaka pursued his allegations in opposition to the Karnataka police. “I knew nothing in regards to the police system or the courts,” the 36-year-old advised The Indian Categorical from his hometown of Yaizu in Japan’s Shizuoka. “My English isn’t notably robust, and I don’t perceive Kannada in any respect… Even so, I used to be in a position to win the case in opposition to the police.”

For a few nights, he slept in a park in RT Nagar. He was allegedly mugged and misplaced his belongings. Fearing for his security, Tanaka mentioned he started sleeping within the compound of the RT Nagar police station. (Categorical photograph)

New nation, then issues disintegrate

Tanaka arrived in Bengaluru in October 2019. A psychology graduate, he enrolled at an English academy in RT Nagar and hoped to spend time exploring town. “I discovered Bangalore to be an brisk and vibrant metropolis. I met many individuals working in start-ups and was impressed by India’s entrepreneurial spirit,” he mentioned.

“I spent many a night exploring bars with mates I had met at hostels, making an attempt totally different sorts of beer,” Tanaka mentioned.

His plans quickly started to unravel.

Tanaka claimed that issues on the academy surfaced inside two weeks of his becoming a member of, with courses allegedly being cancelled with out clarification.

The simmering pressure ultimately boiled over. Tanaka mentioned that in an argument, the academy’s head tried to stroll away: “I grabbed his arm to cease him. He provoked me by saying, ‘In case you contact me, you’ll be able to’t keep in Bangalore anymore!’ I misplaced my mood and punched him within the face.”

This resulted in a legal case; he was booked below costs of voluntarily inflicting harm and legal intimidation. The offences had been bailable, but Tanaka was arrested on November 23, 2019.

Jail and what occurred after

Jail was in contrast to something Tanaka had imagined. “Money circulated freely amongst inmates. Many prisoners gambled and smoked cigarettes. Though prohibited, smartphones, marijuana, and even alcohol had been accessible,” he claimed.

He mentioned he spent his days within the jail church and library. “There was additionally a bit for international prisoners referred to as the ‘Negro Room’, the place English-language movies had been proven,” he recalled. “However I used to be intimidated by among the inmates there, so I stayed within the psychiatric ward contained in the jail hospital.”

Although bullying contained in the jail was frequent, he mentioned he discovered kindness, too. “The Chief Superintendent allowed me to go to his workplace and gave me entry to a pc…,” he claimed.

Then there was Shankar, his ‘closest pal’. “Shankar had been convicted of murdering three folks however had turn out to be a deeply devoted Christian,” Tanaka mentioned. “He accompanied me to the jail’s video-conference court docket hearings and stood by me once I had no cash for bail. With out Shankar’s assist, I don’t suppose I might have been in a position to go away jail.”

When his bail was lastly granted, he claimed the Chief Superintendent paid the Rs 4,000 bail quantity from his personal pocket. “The constables working in his workplace handed me Rs 20, joking that I can purchase myself some espresso and sweets. Earlier than I left, one other officer gave me Rs 500 for the auto-rickshaw fare,” he remembered.

Tanaka walked out on December 11, 2019.  The next day, he went to RT Nagar police station to gather his belongings.

By then, he had little cash left. Seeing his plight, he mentioned a constable lent him Rs 1,500. However one other officer, B Hanumantharayappa, then a sub-inspector, allegedly demanded a bribe.

After some negotiation, Tanaka claimed he paid Rs 5,500, which included the mortgage he had taken from the constable.

On December 19, he was requested to seem in court docket. As soon as once more, he claimed, Hanumantharayappa demanded Rs 3,000 to shut the case. Tanaka determined he wouldn’t let the alleged bribe calls for go unchallenged.

However earlier than he might tackle the police, the Covid-19 pandemic upended his life.

Visa troubles and a authorized combat

In the midst of his case, Tanaka travelled to Delhi to go to mates in early 2020. However he fell sick, growing A number of Organ Dysfunction Syndrome. Regardless of his situation, he returned to Bengaluru by practice in March and couldn’t discover lodging.

For a few nights, he slept in an RT Nagar park. He was allegedly mugged and misplaced his belongings. Fearing for his security, Tanaka mentioned he started sleeping within the compound of the RT Nagar police station.

One night time, he fainted.

“After I got here to, I discovered myself within the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Bowring Hospital. To this present day, I don’t know who took me there,” he advised The Indian Categorical. “I used to be discharged on March 23. A pal from Mangaluru later helped me discover a hostel in BTM Structure.”

Then his visa expired. In accordance with Tanaka, an official on the Consulate-Common of Japan in Bengaluru approached the police on his behalf, however was advised that the case was now earlier than the court docket. “I had no cash at this level,” mentioned Tanaka. “What I had borrowed was gone.”

He mentioned he was granted a visa extension until July 2020. “However I couldn’t go away India so long as my case remained pending.”

His household in Japan was coping with a disaster of its personal. “My mom suffered a cerebral haemorrhage… she was unconscious in hospital. My household didn’t inform me on the time…,” he mentioned.

Tanaka had just one manner out: get the case in opposition to him withdrawn. He filed a legal petition.

The teaching centre head agreed to resolve the dispute, following which the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom, on November 2, 2020, halted the legal proceedings and quashed the FIR.

Tanaka was now free to go away India, however he “couldn’t overlook” what he confronted.

In December of that yr, he filed a criticism in opposition to Hanumantharayappa, alleging bribery and harassment earlier than the Karnataka State Human Rights Fee. “I’ve respect for the police neighborhood throughout the globe as my father can be a police officer. However not at the price of my self-respect,” he mentioned. “I wished to combat.”

A ‘stolen’ chair

There was, nevertheless, an issue: Tanaka was operating out of time in India. The Foreigners Regional Registration Workplace (FRRO) despatched him a letter, asking him to go away earlier than February 28, 2021.

So he determined to do one thing drastic to halt his deportation.

Round 1 am, on February 27, he arrived on the RT Nagar police station. His preliminary plan, he claimed, was to make a scene. “I’d purchased a carbon lathi from a store promoting police gear close to Lalbagh and picked up a number of stones from a close-by park… however as I watched cops working diligently regardless of the late hour, I realised attacking them would solely trigger pointless hurt…,” he claimed.

Tanaka stole a chair from the reception of the RT Nagar police station, hoping he could be arrested. (Categorical photograph)

That’s when he observed the plastic chairs on the reception desk of the ACP workplace. “On my telephone, I seemed up the offence of theft below the Indian Penal Code (the legislation then in pressure)… and located it was a non-bailable offence… Committing theft would inevitably result in my arrest, so I made a decision to take the chair as a substitute,” he recalled.

He took the white chair to his room, and posted selfies with it on X — the put up went viral. He waited, anticipating to be arrested.

Tanaka took the white chair (left) to his room and posted about it on social media. (Categorical photograph)

Nothing occurred.

The police didn’t file a case in opposition to him, treating the incident — and him — as a “headache”.

Requested why no motion was taken, a police officer mentioned it might simply permit Tanaka to proceed to remain in India. “Unlawful immigrants staying in Bengaluru had turn out to be a reason behind concern… and so they had been deported for visa or passport violations and never primarily based on any crime.”

On March 3, 2021, Tanaka was summoned by the FRRO after a report from the Bengaluru Police’s North Division sought his deportation. “I used to be planning to return the chair to the ACP’s workplace,’’ he mentioned.

“The sub inspector, nevertheless, left the chair on the entrance (of ACP’s workplace) and took me to the detention centre”.

In late April 2021, Tanaka was deported to Japan. He recalled that the police escort included the officer who had lent him Rs 1,500. “He advised me, ‘Please come once more’,” Tanaka mentioned.

However he was not accomplished with the case.

From Japan, he saved combating

Tanaka engaged Bengaluru-based advocate Rohan Kothari to symbolize him earlier than the Karnataka State Human Rights Fee, which ordered an inquiry into his allegations.

On Might 9, 2022, the commission ruled in Tanaka’s favour. It really helpful that the state authorities pay him Rs 75,000 as compensation; think about disciplinary motion and restoration of the quantity from Hanumantarayappa; and concern applicable tips for cops in instances involving international nationals or illiterate individuals when they’re arrested.

The fee’s chairperson DH Waghela mentioned within the order, “The non-mentioning of the process relating to non-cognizable and bailable offences within the report submitted by the Assistant Commissioner of Police indicated that police officers weren’t in a position to furnish any correct motive for the arrest of the accused, which led to the pointless judicial custody of the complainant for merely 19 days.”

However there was no motion. “I waited for practically two months,” mentioned Tanaka. “I then moved the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom in September 2022 with a petition looking for the implementation of the KSHRC’s suggestions.”

The case dragged on.

Lastly, in April this yr, the state authorities filed an affidavit, stating it might switch Rs 75,000 to Tanaka’s counsel’s account. The Further Authorities Advocate additionally mentioned disciplinary motion has been initiated in opposition to Hanumantharayappa. On June 22, the federal government paid his counsel.

“The federal government has knowledgeable the court docket that of the three suggestions made by the state human rights panel, they’ve cleared two — the compensation to Tanaka and disciplinary motion in opposition to the officer,” Kothari mentioned.

Hanumantharayappa, now 65, denied ever asking for a bribe.

“In my 35 years and 4 months of service, this was the primary time {that a} division inquiry was initiated in opposition to me,” he advised The Indian Categorical.

He mentioned Tanaka hit the teaching centre head badly and that whereas the case was bailable on the police station, the Japanese nationwide didn’t have the surety required for launch.

“I had no selection however to provide him earlier than the Justice of the Peace who handed him over to judicial custody. I didn’t resolve it independently. Then the police inspector, assistant commissioner of police had been additionally knowledgeable about it,” he mentioned.

Hanumantharayappa mentioned he has contested the human rights panel judgment within the Karnataka Excessive Courtroom. “Presently, the court docket is listening to the matter. The town police have settled the quantity… I’ve adopted the rule e book and I’ll combat the case,” he asserted.

After which, there was love

Amid all that he went by means of in Bengaluru, Tanaka discovered one thing worthwhile — his future spouse.

She was from the Northeast. They first met at a bar he frequented.

When lockdown restrictions started to ease, he went in search of her at her office, solely to find that she now not labored there and had left town.

“Armed with nothing greater than her first title, I searched Instagram till I discovered certainly one of her former colleagues. Via that colleague’s Fb mates listing, I ultimately discovered her profile,” he mentioned.

She returned to Bengaluru for a brand new job and so they went on a number of dates.

“She stood with me throughout powerful instances. In truth, she was the one who inspired me to file a petition in court docket,” he mentioned.

However by the point of the plastic chair incident, they misplaced contact. “She later advised me that I’d been far too persistent,” Tanaka mentioned. “After I used to be deported to Japan, she advised me, ‘In case you proceed to behave like this, I’m afraid I might not even rely you as my pal’. Even so, we steadily rebuilt our relationship on-line,” added Tanaka.

In March 2024, she travelled to Japan as a vacationer. Collectively, they visited Tokyo, Tanaka’s hometown of Yaizu, Kyoto and Osaka. “We bought engaged throughout that journey. In 2025, we bought married,” he mentioned.

Now, his spouse is again in Bengaluru whereas her partner visa for Japan is being processed.

Regardless of being blacklisted after his deportation, there’s one factor Tanaka desires from India. “I want to go to my spouse’s hometown and meet her household…”