Paradip: In a significant development, police have detained four members of a Bangladeshi family at Paradip in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district as part of a statewide crackdown on illegal immigrants.
As per sources, the family reportedly entered India via water route and reached Kolkata before travelling by bus to Odisha. The family comprises a man, a woman and two children.
Preliminary investigation by the Paradip Lock police indicated that the family members were brought to Paradip by an unidentified local person who arranged a rented accommodation for them.
Acting on intelligence inputs, a police team detained the family members during a routine verification drive and took them to the police station for questioning. During the interrogation, it was found that they had entered India without valid documents.
Officials, including Kujang Tehsildar and the local Sub-Collector, have visited the police station and recorded detailed information about the case. The government has also been informed.
The family reportedly claimed they had fled Bangladesh because of alleged torture, seeking refuge in India. The local man reportedly promised them employment opportunities and shelter in Paradip. The possibility of human trafficking or illegal immigration network is being investigated by the police.
Locals have expressed apprehension about a possible racket facilitating the infiltration and settlement of Bangladeshi nationals in coastal districts, including Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur.
In another development, altogether 444 persons have been detained by the police in Jhaarsuguda district during a special operation to identify illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants.
The operation, led by Superintendent of Police Smit P Parmar, was launched to identify foreign nationals who may have entered India without legal documentation.
Preliminary reports suggest that several of the detainees have been working as labourers, masons, or hawkers across the district. Those confirmed to have entered India illegally would face legal action and deportation procedures, police said.