Latest news with #LalbazarDetectiveDepartment
Indian Express
05-08-2025
- Indian Express
Shanta Paul case: Kolkata police arrest man for helping Bangladeshi actress with fake documents
The Kolkata police have made another arrest in connection with the ongoing investigation into Bangladeshi model and actress Shanta Paul, who was recently arrested for allegedly possessing forged Indian identity documents. The accused, identified as Soumik Dutta, 36, from Naihati in North 24 Parganas district, was arrested on Tuesday by the Anti-Rowdy Squad from his residence for his alleged role in helping Paul create the fake documents. Paul, 28, was arrested by the Lalbazar Detective Department after being found with two fake Aadhaar cards and a ration card. The police are now checking if she used these forged documents to secure a bank loan. According to sources, the police are looking into her financial transactions, particularly in light of her social media posts where she had mentioned plans to open an eatery. Paul, who has nearly 41,000 followers on Facebook, is a model and actress. The investigation has also extended to her social media presence, where officials are examining her travel vlogs that allegedly contain advice to other Bangladeshi nationals on how to enter and reside in India using medical visas. The police are investigating whether Paul influenced or assisted others in similar fraudulent activities. The investigation has also revealed that Paul used a rented Kolkata address to obtain a ration card, which was then used to create the fake Aadhaar cards. One of the fraudulent Aadhaar cards listed an address in Purba Bardhaman district, while the other had a Kolkata address. According to sources, investigators suspect that creating a false Indian identity was part of a broader plan to facilitate international travel, as she was reportedly unable to travel to certain countries from Bangladesh. Details have also emerged about Paul's travel history, including a visit to Nathula Pass near the China border in Sikkim. The police are also checking her social media page, 'Asan Travels Kolkata and Bangladesh', to determine the scope of her alleged travel business. Paul is still in police custody as officials verify the seized documents and uncover the full extent of her alleged crimes. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
Mint
02-08-2025
- Mint
Bangladeshi actor Shanta Paul arrested in Kolkata for possessing fake Aadhaar, voter ID
A Bangladeshi woman was arrested recently in Kolkata by the West Bengal Police for allegedly possessing fake Indian identity documents such as Aadhaar and voter ID cards. The woman was identified as 28-year-old Shanta Paul. She was arrested by the Lalbazar Detective Department officials in Kolkata. She had been living at a rented flat in Bijoygarh, Jadavpur, since 2023. According to police, Shanta had entered India using a valid passport. She was working as a crew member of a Bangladeshi airline Regent Airways and was also a small-time model and actress. "Initial probe revealed that the woman was trying to travel to several foreign countries but could not manage to do so from Bangladesh. So, she chose to come to India and travel to foreign countries using Indian documents. She took calculated steps for the purpose. She rented a room in (central Kolkata's posh) Park Street and used that address to get a ration card with the help of an agent," the police officer told PTI. From there, she shifted to a rented flat in the southern part of the city's Bikramgarh area and from there got in touch with another man and managed to secure fake Aadhaar card and voter ID card, the officer said. "She then applied for an Indian passport using all these fake documents. During verification, the woman was called by the officers of the Golf Green Police Station and at that time, she failed to produce her birth certificate and also could not give proper answers regarding her family members," he said. Suspecting something "fishy", a complaint was filed at the Park Street Police Station by the Kolkata Police's Anti Rowdy Section. Eventually, a raid was conducted by the police at her flat where they found several documents including Bangladeshi passport issued in her name, an employee ID of Regent Airways, an admit card of Dhaka's education board. During the raid several Indian identity documents including Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and ration cards were also seized. The police were also trying to find out which documents she had used to get the accommodation in Park Street. Paul was remanded to police custody till August 8 by a court. Her husband, a native of Andhra Pradesh, and her parents, who were staying with her in the rented flat, are also under investigation.
Indian Express
02-08-2025
- Indian Express
‘Advice on how to enter and reside in India using medical visas' — travel vlog of arrested Bangladeshi model cum actress
A day after a 28-year-old Bangladeshi woman, Shanta Paul, was arrested by the Lalbazar Detective Department in Kolkata for allegedly possessing Indian identity documents such as Aadhaar and voter ID cards, the police on Friday said that they are now probing her financial transactions focusing on whether the woman forged documents to secure a loan from a bank. According to police sources, Paul allegedly took a loan and investigators are now scrutinizing whether she used forged documents to secure it. This scrutiny follows her social media posts, where she had reportedly mentioned her plans about opening an eatery, suggesting potential misappropriation of the loan funds. Paul is an actress and model by profession and has a significant social media following on Facebook with nearly 41,000 followers, the police sources said. Additionally, the officials are also examining Paul's travel vlogs, as the content allegedly includes advice to other Bangladeshi nationals on how to enter and reside in India using medical visas. The police are now investigating if Paul influenced or assisted anyone to follow similar actions. Paul was arrested with two fake Aadhaar cards and a ration card earlier this week, used these fraudulent documents to pose as an Indian resident for her travels across the country. One of the fake Aadhaar cards listed an address in Purba Bardhaman, while the other had a Kolkata address. She reportedly used her Kolkata address to obtain a ration card, which was then used to create the fake Aadhaar cards, the police said. Paul remains in police custody, and officials are actively coordinating with relevant government bodies including UIDAI and the Election Commission, to verify the documents seized and to uncover the full scope of her alleged crimes. The investigating officials suspect that creating a false Indian identity was part of a larger plan. The investigation suggests that Paul, unable to travel to certain foreign countries from Bangladesh, intended to use her fake Indian identity to facilitate international travel. Further, details have surfaced about her travel history, revealing Paul's visit to Nathula Pass near the China border in Sikkim. Investigators are also scrutinizing her social media page, 'Asan Travels Kolkata and Bangladesh', to determine the extent of her travel business. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Indian Express
Bangladeshi actress caught in Kolkata, cops find 2 Aadhaar cards, other Indian documents on her
A 28-year-old Bangladeshi woman, Shanta Paul, who police say is an actress and model by profession, has been arrested by the Lalbazar Detective Department in Kolkata for allegedly possessing Indian identity documents such as Aadhaar and voter ID cards. According to police sources, Paul has won several modelling contests in Bangladesh and had been living at a rented apartment in Bijoygarh, Jadavpur, since 2023. She was arrested by officers from Park Street police station. During the arrest and subsequent search of her residence, the police recovered multiple identity documents, including an admit card of Bangladeshi secondary examination, an airline ID issued in Bangladesh, and two Aadhaar cards—one registered in Kolkata, and the other in Bardhaman. The police said the Bardhaman Aadhaar card was issued in 2020. Paul, who had recently filed a fraud complaint at the Thakurpukur Police Station, listed a different address there. According to investigators, she frequently shifted addresses and lived under different identities. Her involvement in an app-cab business reportedly brought her under the scanner. Police sources said Paul could not provide a satisfactory explanation about the origin of the Indian documents. Investigators suspect a larger racket may be involved and are probing how the documents were obtained and which supporting documents were used. Lalbazar has contacted the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Election Commission, and the State Food Department to verify the authenticity of the Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration card. Her original residence is in Barisal, Bangladesh. Paul was produced before a court on Wednesday and has been remanded to police custody till August 8. Her husband, a resident of Andhra Pradesh, is also under investigation, as are her parents, who were staying with her in the south Kolkata flat. A male companion is being questioned, though no evidence has been found against him yet. In 2019, Paul participated in the Miss Asia Global competition held in Kerala. In earlier media interviews in North Bengal, she said she was working in Bengali and Telugu films.
