Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 17: The Mumbai Police on Thursday arrested Babu Ayan Khan, also known as Jyoti or Guru Maa, a Bangladeshi trans person who had been living in India for the past 30 years using forged documents. She is accused of trafficking 200 Bangladeshi nationals into India, a number that may rise as investigations continue.

Jyoti had reinvented herself as a spiritual leader for trans people in Mumbai, amassing around 300 followers across the city. She had obtained a fake birth certificate, Aadhar card, and PAN card to claim Indian citizenship, which led to her arrest after police verification revealed the documents were forged.

The alleged trafficking network reportedly operated through the Murshidabad border in West Bengal, where trafficked individuals were first detained in Kolkata for a few days while fraudulent birth and school-leaving certificates were prepared. They were then brought to Shivaji Nagar in Mumbai, lodged in crowded rooms of 3-4 people each, and required to pay monthly rents of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 to Guru Maa.

Further investigations revealed that Guru Maa was also involved in the illegal occupation of over 200 MHADA flats and huts, which she rented out to earn substantial sums. The Mumbai Police continue to probe the full extent of her network and associated criminal activities.