'Neha', Living In India For 10 Years, Turns Out To Be Bangladeshi Man Abdul
In a startling revelation that could potentially expose an organised racket of illegal immigration and identity fraud, Bhopal Police has detained a Bangladeshi national, Abdul Kalam, who had been living in the city for the past eight years under the false identity of Neha, a transgender.
Kalam, who entered India at the age of 10 and spent two decades in Mumbai before settling in Bhopal's Budhwara area, allegedly assumed a transgender identity and became an active member of the local hijra community. He acquired crucial documents-including an Aadhaar card, ration card, and even a passport-using forged documents with the help of local agents.
Police investigations reveal that Abdul not only lived under a fake identity but also travelled abroad using a forged Indian passport. He shifted homes multiple times within the Budhwara locality and was known to all simply as "Neha." His gender is now being medically verified to determine whether he is biologically transgender or used this identity as a cover to evade detection.
Sources in the police said Kalam was also involved in transgender activities in Maharashtra, which raises questions about whether his disguise was part of a larger network. Authorities are probing whether other members of the transgender community were complicit or unknowingly aided in the fraud.
Two local youths who allegedly helped Abdul procure fake identity documents are currently being questioned. Investigators suspect this might just be the tip of the iceberg, with a broader network facilitating illegal immigration and document forgery. Call recordings and chats from Abdul's mobile phone are being scrutinised for leads.
Abdul has been detained for 30 days under the Foreigners Act. Additional DCP Shalini Dixit said "He has been living in Bhopal for the last 8-10 years. Before that, he was in Maharashtra. We received a tip-off through an informer and initiated the identification process. He has also travelled to Bangladesh in the meantime, and we are awaiting reports from concerned departments," she said.
Authorities have initiated the process for deportation, but not before thoroughly investigating the scope of the racket and Abdul Kalam's past activities, movements, and connections-both in India and abroad.
The case has sent shockwaves through law enforcement agencies, not just because of the identity fraud, but also due to potential national security implications, with questions being raised about how a foreign national managed to live undetected for years in a major Indian city using forged documents.
The Bhopal Police, along with central agencies, are now racing against time to uncover the full extent of the fraud-and whether this was an isolated incident or part of a deeper, more troubling network.
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