Kolkata, May 25: A Bangladeshi couple has been arrested in the Jagacha police station area of Howrah district, West Bengal, for allegedly residing illegally for the past 14 years.
The arrested individuals have been identified as 36-year-old Ramzan Ghazi and 34-year-old Arifa Begum.
According to police reports, a raid was conducted at their residence following a tip-off, leading to their capture. The couple was living there with their four children, two of whom are under seven years old. The younger children have been sent to a shelter home in Howrah, while the other two remain with their mother.
Initial investigations revealed that the couple had been living in India illegally for 14 years. It is alleged that Ramzan and Arifa paid a significant sum to active smugglers to enter West Bengal. Since then, they have reportedly resided in the Unsani Majherpara area of Jagacha police station.
Ramzan is said to have made a living by selling coconut water, palm fruits, and other goods in the local market.
Police further disclosed that by 2014, the couple had allegedly acquired counterfeit documents, including ration cards, voter ID cards, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and passports. They reportedly voted in the last Lok Sabha elections as well.
Following a recent Special Intensive Review (SIR) process, Ramzan and Arifa’s names were removed from the electoral rolls in Bengal. The Jagacha police subsequently arrested the couple for illegally entering and residing in the country. Authorities have filed a case against them under immigration and foreign laws.
During a high-level administrative meeting at the new Collectorate building in Howrah on Thursday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari instructed the police to hand over any Bangladeshi infiltrators caught in Howrah directly to the Border Security Force (BSF).
The state government also indicated that individuals recently arrested on suspicion of infiltration, as well as those previously detained and awaiting deportation, may be transferred to detention centers.
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