A Bangladeshi woman who entered India nearly 12 years ago and later married a Gujarati man is facing deportation after authorities discovered that she had been living in the country without valid documents. The woman, originally identified as Kajuli and now known as Kajal, was recently detained by police in Gujarat’s Anand district as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
Her husband, Tarun Patel, has appealed to the Government of India to allow her to remain in the country, saying she came to India to marry him, has adopted Hinduism, and is now the mother of two children. He has also expressed concern about her safety if she is deported to Bangladesh.
According to police, Kajal had been residing in India illegally after entering the country without valid travel documents. Following her detention, authorities initiated deportation proceedings in accordance with immigration laws.
The case has drawn attention because of the couple’s unusual cross-border love story. According to family members, Tarun Patel, a resident of Lambhvel village in Anand district, first came into contact with Kajuli through Facebook nearly 15 years ago. What began as an online friendship gradually developed into a relationship despite the two living in different countries.
The family claims that Kajuli wanted to marry Tarun and had attempted to obtain a passport in Bangladesh. However, she was allegedly cheated by an agent and was unable to secure the necessary documents. At the same time, her family was reportedly pressuring her to marry another Muslim man.
According to the family’s account, Kajuli eventually crossed into India through the West Bengal border in 2016 and travelled to Gujarat to be with Tarun. After arriving in India, she is said to have adopted Hinduism and married him according to Hindu rituals. The couple subsequently settled in Anand and started a family.
Today, they have two sons, eight-year-old Dhyan and two-year-old Arsh.
The case came to light during a Gujarat Police operation against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. According to reports, Kajal recently called her mother in Bangladesh, who was reportedly unwell. During the investigation, police traced the communication and began verifying her identity and immigration status.
The inquiry allegedly revealed that she had entered India illegally and had continued to reside in the country without valid documentation. On the night of June 2, officials from the Anand Local Crime Branch detained her and shifted her to a women’s shelter while initiating the legal process for deportation.
Following her detention, Tarun Patel appealed to both the Gujarat government and the Centre to consider his wife’s case on humanitarian grounds. He maintains that Kajal did not come to India with criminal intentions but crossed the border to be with the person she loved.
According to Tarun, she has spent years building a life in India, has embraced Hindu customs and traditions, and is raising two Indian-born children. He fears that deportation could place her in danger.
He has claimed that her family in Bangladesh may not accept her after her conversion and marriage in India and that she could face social ostracism or threats if forced to return. The family has urged authorities to consider these concerns before taking a final decision.
Tarun Patel has also appealed to Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi and the Government of India seeking intervention in the matter. The family has requested that Kajal not be deported and instead be considered for Indian citizenship.
They argue that she has lived in India for several years, integrated into local society, embraced Hinduism and built a family in the country. The family has urged authorities to consider the welfare of the children and the humanitarian aspects of the case while deciding her future.
For now, deportation proceedings remain underway, and the final decision will depend on the outcome of the legal and administrative process being conducted by the authorities.
