4 illegal Bangladeshi migrants held in Pune, Indian ID proofs seized: Cops

The arrested, identified as Nijam Rahimali Shaikh, Babu Mosin Mandal, Kamrul Roshan Mandal and Sagar Alam Shaikh, were picked up Friday night for investigation, officials said.

The police have booked a total of 11 people, including the family members, comprising three children, of the accused.

Police suspect accused Nijam is allegedly linked to the racket involved in bringing illegal Bangladeshi migrants to India. They suspect that some of the accused were allegedly sending money earned in India to their relatives in Bangladesh through suspicious channels involving a few bank accounts and agents linked to foreign exchange services in West Bengal and Bangladesh.

The police are investigating their financial transactions and how the accused procured Indian documents.

Sources said that Najim worked as a labourer at a private firm, Sagar and Kamrul worked as drivers on private vehicles and Babu ran a food stall in Pune.

Police said that Nijam, Kamrul and Sagar Shaikh were earlier detained along with seven Bangladeshi nationals on August 15, 2021, by the Hadapsar police, following a tip-off that they were suspected of having entered India illegally.

As per police records in 2021, all seven suspects had reportedly told the investigators they had infiltrated India illegally by crossing the international border in West Bengal between 1995 and 2011.

Police inquiry had also then revealed that the Bangladeshi nationals had procured Indian documents like Aadhaar card, PAN card after coming to Pune, and one of the suspects was also found to have purchased a piece of land in Pune.

A suspect had told The Indian Express over the phone that he came from “Sharsha in Jessore district, Bangladesh, in 2008” and later managed to procure an Aadhaar card and other documents in Pune with the help of some local residents.

However, the suspects were let go due to a lack of evidence to show that they were from Bangladesh.

In an unusual step, the police had released the seven Bangladeshi migrants to a Pune-based lawyer Aslam Sayyed, who took the responsibility of producing them whenever required for the police inquiry.

However, the Military Intelligence unit and Central agencies continued a probe into the matter and secured evidence against Nijam, Kamrul and other Bangladeshi accused, who were now arrested by the Hadapsar police station.

Police produced the four accused men before a court in Pune to seek their custody for further investigation.

“Court had remanded the four accused to police custody till October 16,” said prosecution lawyer Vijaysinh Jadhav.

Meanwhile, in the last one-and-a-half months, Pune city police have arrested 33 illegal Bangladeshi nationals, including women, from the red light area of Pune.

Officials said that they were found to be involved in prostitution and other small works in the Budhwar Peth area.
During the raids in the past one month, the police rescued two girls, including a minor, who were allegedly forced into prostitution in Budhwar Peth brothels by sex racketeers.