On 11th January, South Delhi Police sent a notice to Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Rithala constituency, Mohinder Goyal, and his staff in connection with a case involving illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Notably, the illegal Bangladeshis were in possession of counterfeit documents that bore Goyal’s signature and seal. These Bangladeshi nationals have been accused of staying unlawfully in the city.
Police asked Goyal to appear for questioning at the South Delhi office, where senior officers would interrogate him about the case. The summons were issued amidst heightened action against illegal immigrants in the city. Recently, Delhi Police detained five Bangladeshi nationals, including a woman and two children, and deported them earlier this month.
Verification drive in slum areas
Verification drives are being conducted in several parts of the city that are densely populated and have notable slum dwellers, to identify illegal residents. During such drives by Dwarka Police, under Deputy Commissioner of Police Ankit Kumar’s leadership, over 500 individuals were screened, leading to the arrest of individuals whose documents were deemed fraudulent. All of them were found to be Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the national capital.
Goyal’s past controversies
This is not the first time Goyal’s name has appeared in controversies. In 2024, Shahbad Dairy Police registered a case against him for allegedly abusing and obstructing an MCD licensing inspector from performing his duties. The inspector said in his complaint that Goyal threatened him and obstructed the sealing of unauthorised factories during an official property survey in Narela.
Action against illegal Bangladeshis intensifies
In recent weeks, Delhi Police have intensified efforts to identify and deport Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in Delhi. Earlier this week, nine Bangladeshi citizens were detained by Central District Police. They were sent to a detention centre in Sarai Rohilla, awaiting deportation. Between 1st and 5th January 2025, district police conducted a special operation targeting illegal immigrants, marking a significant step in addressing unauthorised residents in the city. Reportedly, five Bangladeshi’s were deproted earlier this month as well.
The development has occurred during a time when the national capital is gearing up for Assembly Polls scheduled next month. Notably, the I.N.D.I. Alliance is defunct in Delhi, as AAP and Congress are not contesting the elections together. The issue of illegal immigrants has become a matter of mudslinging between the political parties in the national capital. While AAP has accused BJP of giving flats to illegals, the BJP has accused AAP of systematically settling illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the city.