BENGALURU: A landlord and a labour contractor have been arrested under the Foreigners Act, 1946, for allegedly providing accommodation to six Bangladeshi nationals without complying with mandatory reporting requirements.
The landlord, identified as Muniraju, had rented out a portion of his land near the Government School in Kodathi, Marathahalli, where the six suspects were staying in a shed. The labour contractor, Arjun, is accused of facilitating their stay.
The Varthur police detained the six individuals after they failed to produce documents establishing their Indian citizenship. During questioning, the police confirmed that they were from Bangladesh.
The case came to light last Saturday after the police received information that members of certain organisations were allegedly assaulting the Bangladeshi nationals staying in Kodathi and recording videos of the attacks. When the police reached the spot, they found the six individuals, including women, staying in the shed.
The detained persons have been identified as Shahida Begum (32), Renu (60), Laiju Akthar (20), K. Jaleel Sheikh (50), M Mohammed Nitul Sheikh (35), and I Mohammed Saidul Islam (45).
“All six are natives of the Bagerhat and Munshiganj districts of Bangladesh. They have been handed over to the concerned authorities for further investigation,” a police officer said. Police said it is illegal for property owners to fail to report foreign nationals staying on their premises.
“The Foreigners Regional Registration Office mandates that house owners upload the details of foreign nationals on its online portal within 24 hours of renting out their premises. The information must be submitted through Form C. Under Section 7 of the Foreigners Act. The completed Form C, along with the relevant documents, must be retained by the owner. This requirement is crucial because foreign nationals have, in several instances, been found involved in criminal activities, including drug trafficking,” the officer added.