Lawyer says Indians, police claim Bangladeshis

During an investigation by the Pune city police in India, several alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators told the officers that they had traveled from Bangladesh and obtained Aadhar and Pan cards after arriving in Pune between 1995 and 2011. These men's lawyer, on the other hand, claims that they are Indians.

Police have yet to file a charge in the case since no paperwork proving the suspects' Bangladeshi citizenship have been discovered, reports The Indian Express.

Seven people suspected of illegally migrating to India and now residing in the Hadapsar district of Pune were recently brought to the Hadapsar police station for questioning based on information from a central intelligence agency.

According to a police station diary report dated August 15, 2021, these individuals, identified as Dilawar Mandal, S A Shaikh, Farukh Shaikh, N R Shaikh, Kamrul Mandal, Munir Shaikh, and Humayun Shaikh, told the cops that they are from Bangladesh and that some of them arrived in India via Kolkata in the years "1995, 2002, 2007, 2008, and 2011." The majority of them now work in the Mantarwadi Garbage Depot as rag pickers.

Police inquiry also revealed that they procured Indian documents like Adhar card, Pan card after coming to Pune. "But, during searches, no documents showing that they are Bangladesh nationals were recovered. So it is not clear whether they are from Bangladesh…," the station dairy mentioned.

Cops released the suspects to Hadapsar lawyer Aslam Sayyed, who agreed to produce the suspects whenever the police investigation warranted it.

Sayyed said, "They (suspects) have been residing here for years now. They got married here and have children. When the police called them for inquiry again, they submitted their Aadhar and Pan cards, marriage certificates and birth certificates of their children. One of them also purchased a piece of land in Pune and its documents were also submitted to the police. They are cooperating with the police."

"I had represented Humayun Shaikh and Dilawar Mandal in court when they were arrested in the past. In the police and court records, their nationality was mentioned as Indian. It is surprising that they are alleged to be Bangladeshis," Sayyed added.

When contacted, Dilawar Mandal did not comment. Farukh Shaikh told The Indian Express over phone that he had come from "Sharsha in Jashore district, Bangladesh, in 2008" and later managed to procure Aadhar card and other documents in Pune with the help of some locals. Other five suspects could not be contacted.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone 5) Namrata Patil said, "We are verifying their Aadhar and Pan cards. The probe is on." Asked about the admission by the suspects that they are from Bangladesh, Patil said, "If they retract in court?…. We are looking for proper evidence."