Mumbai, July 27: Mumbai police have arrested a 36-year-old Bangladeshi national at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for allegedly traveling on a fake Indian passport.
The accused has been identified as Babu Biswas, also known as Tapas Biswas. Immigration officials became suspicious of his Indian passport when they noticed his accent closely resembled the language spoken in Bangladesh.
According to police, Biswas illegally entered India in 2016 through the West Bengal border with his wife and family. He subsequently settled in Nadia district of West Bengal and worked as a daily wage laborer in Kolkata for nearly seven years.
After arriving in India, the accused managed to obtain Indian identification documents such as an Aadhaar card and PAN card. Using these documents, he acquired an Indian passport from the Kolkata passport office in 2019. Investigations revealed that he used this passport to travel abroad, including two trips to the Maldives and at least one trip to Colombo in 2023 without raising any suspicions.
A police officer stated that the investigation is now focused on identifying the agents who assisted the accused in obtaining fake Indian identification documents and the passport. Authorities are trying to uncover all individuals involved in this case.
The suspect was apprehended upon his arrival from Colombo at Mumbai Airport. He presented his Indian passport and boarding pass at the immigration counter. An assistant immigration officer stationed at counter number 23 reported that the passenger arrived on SriLankan Airlines flight UL-141 around 3:30 AM.
During the examination of the Indian passport, the officer became suspicious that the passenger was from Bangladesh. When questioned, the suspect failed to provide satisfactory answers. Following initial inquiries, he was presented to the officer in charge of the immigration branch for detailed questioning, which revealed that he is originally from Faridpur, Bangladesh.
The police reported that Biswas’s suspicion grew stronger when he contacted his wife via WhatsApp, asking her to send documents related to his identity. His wife subsequently sent copies of land ownership documents registered in the name of Biswas’s father in Bangladesh, confirming his Bangladeshi origin.
An officer from Sahar police station stated that during questioning, the accused admitted to illegally entering India with his family in 2016. He also revealed that he obtained the Aadhaar card and PAN card with the help of a local individual while living in West Bengal. Later, he used these documents to acquire an Indian passport.
The police are now investigating the entire network that assisted the accused in obtaining fake identification documents and are also looking into the individuals who helped him live illegally in India and travel abroad using the Indian passport.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Crime Branch has recently reported that the process of repatriating 53 illegal Bangladeshi nationals arrested during operations across various parts of the city has begun. The police are continuing their investigation into this matter.
My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 8 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Udaipur Kiran & Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
