Synopsis
The West Bengal Police arrested a key figure behind a network supplying fake Indian identity documents to Bangladeshi infiltrators. Bipul Adhikari was identified as a mastermind in this operation, facilitating illegal border crossings and document forgery.Key Takeaways
- Arrest of kingpin Bipul Adhikari
- Facilitated illegal crossings for Bangladeshi infiltrators
- Produced fake identity documents
- Operated in northern Bengal
- Police investigation ongoing
Kolkata, Feb 22 (NationPress) A team from the West Bengal Police has apprehended a mastermind involved in orchestrating the distribution of fake Indian identity documents, including passports, for Bangladeshi infiltrators in Jalpaiguri district on Saturday.
The accused has been named Bipul Adhikari and, as reported by district authorities, he was a key player in operating these fraudulent document schemes catering to Bangladeshi infiltrators throughout the northern regions of Bengal.
Adhikari resides in Haldibari, located in the Mekhliganj sub-division of Cooch Behar district, which is adjacent to the Bangladesh border.
According to police sources, Adhikari was instrumental in facilitating the unlawful entry of Bangladeshi infiltrators into India, primarily through border points in northern Bengal that lack adequate barbed fencing due to land availability issues.
The accused reportedly generated income through two primary channels: facilitating illegal crossings and producing fake Indian identity documents.
He was presented in a Jalpaiguri district court on Saturday afternoon, which ordered him to be held in police custody for three days. Authorities are actively questioning him to uncover further accomplices involved in the network.
Recent intelligence revealed that last month, two Bangladeshi infiltrators were apprehended by police in Siliguri, in the Phulbari area of Darjeeling district. During their questioning, they disclosed that Adhikari had facilitated their illegal entry and was in the process of procuring counterfeit Indian identity documents for them.
The investigative police team has discerned a recurring pattern in the operations of such document fraud schemes.
Any infiltrator who crosses into Indian territory and contacts local agents willing to pay substantial sums for counterfeit identity documents is initially provided with safe housing in various villages adjacent to the Bangladesh border, both in land and coastal regions.
Subsequently, agents supply fake ration cards, which serve as the initial step for obtaining additional identity documents. With these counterfeit ration cards, other identification papers such as EPIC, PAN, and Aadhaar cards are secured. The final stage involves acquiring fake passports based on these supplementary forged identity documents.
