Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jul 10: Surathkal police on Thursday night detained and, following interrogation, arrested eight Bangladeshi nationals who were allegedly staying illegally in the country and working at the construction site of Srinivas Hospital in Mukka.
The arrested have been identified as Mohammed Mukhtar Ali (36), Mohammed Rakibur Hussain (44), Mohammed Azrul Islam (36), Mohammed Zaid Husain (18), Mohammed Bilal Hussain (36), Mohammed Hasibul Hasan Shanto (37), Mohammed Samiul Hasan (23) and Mohammed Saibur Rahman, police said.
Mangaluru City police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy stated that all of them had entered India illegally from Bangladesh about three months ago through Murshidabad in West Bengal. They allegedly affixed their photographs to Aadhaar cards belonging to persons residing there, obtained colour photocopies of the documents, and had been working as construction labourers in Mukka for the past two months.
Acting on credible information received by Surathkal police sub-inspector Raghu Nayak regarding the illegal stay of Bangladeshi nationals at under-construction buildings in Mukka, he visited the spot along with a team and verified about 54 persons residing in makeshift huts near two construction sites. Bangladeshi identity documents belonging to eight of them were found, following which all eight were taken into custody and brought to the police station for further questioning.
Senior officers informed the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, and on its directions the accused were formally arrested and kept at the police station. They will subsequently be handed over to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, the police commissioner said.
“They had secured employment here by producing Aadhaar cards prepared in Murshidabad to the contractors. However, no evidence has been found to suggest that the contractors were aware of the manner in which the Aadhaar cards were obtained or that they knowingly employed them. In many such cases registered against illegal migrants, they continue to remain in India until the completion of legal proceedings. After the investigation, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office will deport them,” police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said.