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Speaking to reporters, the Home Minister stated that if it is proven that they entered India a decade ago, it is concerning that they escaped the attention of central intelligence agencies. He added that the detainees had managed to acquire Indian passports under false identities. “We need to see what more information emerges from the ongoing investigation,” he remarked.
He further mentioned that several Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested in the past. Regular reports are submitted, and security at the India-Bangladesh border needs to be intensified to prevent illegal crossings. The government continues to alert central agencies and the Bangladesh High Commission on these matters.
Arrested in Anekal
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This family, who was residing illegally in the outskirts of Bengaluru, had managed to acquire Indian passports, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and driving licenses. Rashid, the main accused, reportedly entered India ten years ago, initially crossing into Bangladesh before slipping through the West Bengal border into Delhi. There, he and his family obtained Indian identification documents before moving to Bengaluru in 2018.
Bengaluru police, who had been investigating illegal immigrant families, tracked them down.
The family had been living in a private villa in a layout near Jigani for the past six years, using Hindu names to avoid suspicion. Despite this, they continued practicing Islamic customs in private.
On Sunday evening, acting on a tip-off from central intelligence agencies, a police team from Jigani raided the house. While official records listed them under Hindu names, inside the house, investigators found Muslim-related photos, books, and writings.
During the interrogation, it was reportedly revealed that all members of the household were of Pakistani origin. A suo-moto case has been registered at the Jigani police station, and further questioning is ongoing.
Rashid was Operating as Shankar Sharma
Rashid Ali Siddiqui, the prime accused in the case, had been living under the alias Shankar Sharma. His wife Ayesha assumed the name Asha Sharma, his mother-in-law Rubina Rani Sharma, and his father-in-law Mohammad Younus went by Ram Babu Sharma.
The family was reportedly receiving financial support from the Mehdi Foundation, which has come to light during the investigation.
How They Were Caught
Two of the family’s relatives were recently apprehended by police in Chennai. Based on the information they provided, Bengaluru police conducted a search and arrested the four suspects. Efforts are now underway to track down those who helped the family obtain fake identification documents.
A case has been filed under the Passport Act at Jigani police station, and intelligence officers are continuing their investigation to gather more details about the family’s activities and background.