Haryana ATS catches 14 Bangladeshis living illegally in Gurugram, all to be deported

Gurugram. Fourteen Bangladeshi nationals, the youngest just 17, have been sent to the detention centre in Manesar. None of them could show a single valid paper giving them the right to be in India.

The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Haryana Police picked them up from Gurugram in a joint operation with Special Operations Group (SOG) teams from Nuh and Rohtak. ATS officials said none of the 14 had a passport or a visa, or any Union Home Ministry permission to enter or stay in India.

Most of them are young men. Ten of the 14 are 23 or younger, and two are 17. The oldest is 37.

ATS Superintendent of Police Varun Singla said they come from different districts of Bangladesh. They had been working in Gurugram as labourers and doing odd jobs while hiding who they were.

The ATS moved in after intelligence agencies gave what Singla called solid information that foreign nationals were hiding in Gurugram and nearby areas. Senior ATS officers then ordered the joint raid.

When the team asked them for documents proving they were allowed to live in India, none of the 14 could produce any. During the search, police found Bangladeshi identity cards and other papers issued in Bangladesh.

“Initial questioning and checks on their documents show they were living here without any valid papers,” the SP said.

A case has been registered against all 14 under the foreigners law, and legal action is under way. Singla said police will contact the embassy to complete the checks on their citizenship and documents. After that, the process to send them back to Bangladesh will start.

“There will be no compromise on national security at any level,” Singla said. He added that the operation to trace foreigners living illegally will go on.

The ATS has also asked landlords in Gurugram to get police verification done before they rent a room to any foreign national.

Apart from the two 17-year-olds, those detained are Mohammad Raju Miyan (20), Saqib Hussain (18), Ilyas Ali (18), Mohammad Feroz Islam (19), Mohammad Anarul Haque (30), Saqib Rana (19), Ghulam Rabbani (23), Mohammad Javil Rana (20), Anwar Hussain (37), Ariful alias Alauddin (22), Mohammad Masud Rana (27) and Raju Alam (28).