27-05-2025
B'desh man, who entered India over a yr ago, arrested
Howrah: Police on Monday night arrested a Bangladeshi citizen, who reportedly crossed over into India illegally around 15 months ago.
Faruk Sheikh (36), a resident of Mouli village in Narail district in Bangladesh, had paid a Bangladeshi facilitator, Sajjadul Biswas, Bangladeshi Taka 20,000 or around Rs 14,000 in Indian currency.
Initially, he lived in Mumbai before arriving at Howrah station on Sunday. Sajjadul, who was in another compartment on the same train, reportedly cut off contact and his mobile became unreachable, police said.
Cops at the Shibpur Police Station were alerted by residents who spotted Faruk seeking employment in the PM Basti area of Shibpur on Monday evening. Cops, on questioning, found no passport or visa on Faruk and arrested him under the Foreigners Act.
During interrogation, he reportedly gave multiple versions of entering into India—through the Nadia border, Bongaon border and the unfenced area. He told police he worked as a mason during his stay in Mumbai.
Cops reportedly found no Indian ID document though they found some papers with unclear drawings, which Faruk claimed, were connected to his masonry profession.
The authorities are investigating Faruk's motive behind entering India and his planned return to Bangladesh.
He was on Tuesday remanded in police custody for five days.
Last week, a chauffeur, Azad Sheikh (41), who was apprehended for driving rashly, turned out to be a Bangladeshi national. On interrogation, he revealed that he managed to obtain Indian documents from a Nazat resident, Zafar Ali Sheikh, by paying Rs 15,000. He used those papers for his job.
Police said an investigation was on to identify individuals crossing the border without proper documents, finding accommodation with relatives or through intermediaries, and subsequently, obtaining legitimate Indian identity documents against a modest amount. An earlier probe into passports being issued without proper verification of documents revealed that around 120 Bangladeshi nationals acquired Indian passports illegally and travelled abroad.
In those cases, police had filed charges against 130 individuals, including suspected operatives.
