Bilaspur Police detains 23 people from the Sirgitti area.
Raipur: In one of its biggest operations against Bangladeshi Infiltrators, Bilaspur Police have detained 23 people from the Sirgitti area who are suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals residing in India without valid documents.
According to the police, the action was carried out as part of a wider drive to identify unauthorised persons living in Chhattisgarh without valid identity and residence documents and initiate the process of deporting them to their country of origin.
Following preliminary physical verification, all 23 suspects were shifted to a Holding-cum-Detention Centre in Raipur. Further formalities will be undertaken there in accordance with the applicable procedure, police said.
The suspects were reportedly residing in the Sirgitti area of Bilaspur. Police said they were taken into custody after a detailed investigation into their identity documents, residential records and other available information.
The operation followed directions issued by the state government for identifying unauthorised persons residing in the state without valid documentation and initiating action for their deportation. Acting on these directions, Bilaspur SSP Rajnesh Singh constituted a Special Task Force (STF) to undertake the verification and field-level investigation.
Additional Superintendent of Police Rashmita Kaur Chawla was appointed as the nodal officer to lead the STF. A special team comprising seven senior inspectors was also deployed as part of the operation.
During extensive search operations conducted in various sensitive areas of Bilaspur district, police came across several individuals whose identity cards and certificates relating to their place of origin allegedly raised serious doubts.
To establish the authenticity of the documents and trace the background of the suspects, a special Bilaspur Police team travelled to Murshidabad and Jangipur in West Bengal. Police officials reportedly met local police officers and station house officers in the two areas and sought verification of the documents and identities of the suspects.
The investigation also focused on information connected with border areas and the alleged movement of the suspects from West Bengal to Chhattisgarh.
According to Bilaspur Police, the verification process did not yield information establishing the 23 individuals as Indian citizens. On the basis of the investigation conducted so far, police shifted them to the detention facility in Raipur for further proceedings.
During interrogation, police said the suspects revealed details about an alleged method used to enter India through the India-Bangladesh border.
According to the police account, some of the suspects concealed themselves in the large tyres fitted to vessels to cross waterways and evade security personnel. They reportedly used the space or gaps inside the large tyres while travelling through rivers and other water routes before entering Indian territory.
Police further alleged that after entering India, some of the suspects managed to obtain Aadhaar cards in West Bengal and subsequently travelled from Kolkata to Bilaspur.
Some of them, according to the police, allegedly entered Bilaspur on the pretext of attending weddings and later remained in the city.
The police are investigating the circumstances under which the suspects allegedly obtained identity documents and travelled from West Bengal to Chhattisgarh.
Police said interrogation also brought to light alleged inconsistencies in the documents submitted by some of the suspects.
According to investigators, officials questioned the suspects about the names of their fathers and grandfathers mentioned or implied in their family records. Police claimed that in some cases, the person identified as the father was allegedly the suspect’s father-in-law.
When questioned about the name of the grandfather, the suspects allegedly failed to provide satisfactory answers.
Investigators said the inability of the suspects to provide basic information about their family tree raised further doubts about the authenticity of their documents and identities.
Police said these discrepancies became an important part of the investigation into the alleged forgery and identity-related irregularities.
The Bilaspur district administration and police have constituted the STF specifically to take effective action against suspected illegal immigrants and persons allegedly residing in the district without valid documents.
Under the official order issued by the DIG-cum-SSP, the special team was directed to begin field-level action immediately.
Additional Superintendent of Police Rashmita Kaur Chawla was appointed as the STF’s nodal officer and tasked with coordinating the investigation and operations.
The order also laid down responsibilities for local police stations and the intelligence wing. Station house officers concerned were directed to make two sub-inspectors and the respective beat officer available during STF operations.
Personnel from the reserve police force were also assigned to assist the special team during field operations.
The police have said that the objective of the exercise is to identify persons residing without valid documents, verify their nationality and initiate appropriate legal and administrative action wherever violations are established.
As part of the operation, seven inspectors were assigned responsibility for different areas of Bilaspur district.
The Sirgitti area was placed under the responsibility of Inspector Vijay, while Inspector Jitendra Gupta was assigned to the Civil Lines area.
The remaining inspectors were deployed across other key areas, including Koni, Bahatarai, Sarkanda and Sakri, with personnel from the reserve centre also being attached to the operation.
The deployment was aimed at expanding the verification exercise beyond a single locality and ensuring that information regarding suspected unauthorised residents could be systematically examined.
Bilaspur Police have appealed to residents to cooperate with the verification drive and immediately inform the police if they notice any person living in their locality without valid documents or whose identity appears suspicious.
For this purpose, police have issued a toll-free helpline number, 1800-233-1905, for citizens to share information.
The police administration has assured residents that the identity of individuals providing information will be kept confidential.
Officials have urged citizens not to take direct action against anyone they suspect, but instead to share information with the police so that the authorities can conduct proper verification.
