Eight Bangladeshi nationals were arrested by the Gwaliar police on Saturday (11th October) based on a tip-off provided by Haryana Police, who had been staying illegally in Gwalior’s Maharajpura locality for the past 12 years. Some of their relatives had been arrested earlier in Panipat.
Based on that information, a joint operation was carried out, and the Gwalior Police arrested all of them from near the Maharajpura Airbase, which is a sensitive area just near the Indian Air Force base.
According to police officials, the arrested individuals are members of the same family and had been staying in India without valid documents. They were identified as Mohammad Sharif, his wife Silima, their children Rafiq, Chumki, and Adori, along with their nephew Ashiq, and two others, Ratul Sheikh and his son Uja.
It was revealed under interrogation that Mohammad Sharif first arrived in India from Jessore district of Bangladesh approximately 12 years ago. He first arrived in Kolkata, then in Gwalior, in search of a job. Later, he relocated the rest of his family there to settle. Sharif’s father, Noor, also had lived in India but died a few years ago after he slipped into a well.
The police said that the family was living in a rented house owned by a resident, Devendra Kansana, in Deendayal Nagar. They were working for him on a contractual basis to collect and dispose of garbage for around ₹15,000 per month.
Investigations showed that the group was capable of obtaining duplicate Aadhaar cards and other documents of Indian identity. They employed these to open bank accounts, obtain mobile SIM cards, and secure jobs locally. Ratul Sheikh, one of the accused, confirmed that he had entered India-Bangladesh border five years ago through local agents by paying ₹4,000.
Police also recovered some fake documents and cell phone numbers from them. The intelligence agencies are now analyzing their cyber files to know whom they called for help and if other such illegal immigrants exist in the area.
Gwalior SP Dharamveer Singh further said that there is a state-wide verification campaign to detect suspected foreign nationals. The verification of the arrested Bangladeshis is going on, and a report will be passed on to the Bangladesh authorities for verification. They will be deported after confirming their citizenship.
Police also deployed checks around the Maharajpura Airbase and adjoining other localities, as the unauthorized stay of foreign nationals in a high-security zone raised serious security concerns. Other illegal migrants staying in the area are being tracked by running investigations.
