BHUBANESWAR: Nine Bangladeshi nationals, including three women, were sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment by a local court in Bhubaneswar for entering India without valid travel documents on Tuesday.
The court imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each person and ruled that they would undergo an additional three months of imprisonment in case of failure to pay the fines.
After examining the evidence presented by the prosecution, including testimonies of six witnesses and supporting documents, the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM), Bhubaneswar, convicted MD Hasim (46), Sajib Khan (24), Allam Shaika (41), Md Azeem (40), Dilara Seikh (45), Md Soha Talukdar (36), Karima Begum (25), Morina Begum (30) and Sahana Begum (45) under section 14 of Foreigners Act, 1946.
The nine individuals were traced by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch during a raid at the Bhubaneswar railway station on March 8 last year.
After they were held, the Bangladeshi nationals failed to produce passport, visa or any other valid travel document and tried to escape.
Police said the accused later confessed to entering India without any travel documents and residing in Bhubaneswar.
They had entered the Indian territory through a jungle area bordering Assam during night and later travelled towards Odisha.
The STF later filed chargesheet against them.