In one of the most significant cross-border infiltration crackdowns in recent years, a Bangladeshi couple who had been living in Raipur under forged Indian identities for more than 16 years has been arrested, on Saturday. “This is a serious breach of national security. The accused not only entered the country illegally but also managed to obtain Indian passports, Aadhaar cards, and other government-issued documents using fabricated credentials,” said Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Lal Umed Singh while addressing a press conference.

 

“Their arrest follows a joint operation by the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit and Tikrapara police based on credible intelligence.” According to SSP Singh, the male accused, aged 49, is a native of Muktarpur in Bangladesh’s Munshiganj district. “He entered India alone via the Bangaon border nearly 15 years ago and later brought his wife and infant daughter. All three managed to create complete identity profiles with Indian documents,”

 

he said. The suspect earned a living by operating a roadside food cart and is believed to have procured fake documentation through contacts met in his daily business. “Among the seized items are fake Indian passports, Aadhaar cards, and an eighth-grade mark sheet from 2009 listing a birth year of 1975 – implying a 35-year-old posing as a school student. The forgery is brazen,” SSP Singh added. Police also recovered mobile phones from the accused, which were found to contain multiple Bangladeshi contact numbers.

 

“His mobile data shows continued communication with family members in Bangladesh, including his elder sister. Moreover, his forged passport confirms at least four instances of travel between India and Bangladesh,” SSP Singh said. A formal case has been registered under Sections 112, 318(4), 319(2), and 336(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as under the Indian Passport Act (1967), Passport (Entry into India) Act (1920), and Foreigners Act (1946). “We are investigating whether this couple is part of a wider illegal network. Further interrogations and digital tracing are in progress,” SSP Dr Lal Umed Singh concluded, affirming that both accused have been sent to judicial custody and all forged documents have been seized.