UDUPI: Following the recent arrest of eight Bangladeshi nationals residing at a tile-roofed house near Hoode in the Udupi district, the police have initiated investigation into the incident.
Official sources told TNIE that the arrested Bangladeshi nationals entered India through the help of agents in the North Eastern region as the fencing along India-Bangladesh is not strictly monitored.
Sources indicated that local people provided patronage to them. "They entered India at different times. They indulged in construction activities and offered namaz in nearby mosques", they also said.
‘‘As it is not mandatory to submit the rent agreement and work contract copies at the jurisdictional police stations, it has become easy for the illegal immigrants. There are many such illegally residing Bangladeshi nationals in Udupi and Mangaluru,’’ an official source said.
An accommodation consisting of two rooms was provided to Bangladeshi nationals by one Asif who engaged in water sports activities. The eight arrested Bangladeshi nationals stayed in one room and the items related to water sports activities were stored in the other room.
Police detained Asif and questioned him. It has come to the understanding of the police team investigating the case that Asif was referred to these arrested Bangladeshi nationals by individuals located in Mangaluru and Chennai.
The fact that Asif had neither collected any documents nor any amount as rent has made police investigate the case in more detail. Police are also investigating what quid pro quo deal existed between locals and the illegal immigrants.
Highly placed sources told TNIE that the arrested Bangladeshi nationals belonged to a sect called ‘Ahl-i-Hadith’ and they were the followers of ‘Wahhabism’ which is considered as an extremist ideology.
Udupi SP Dr Arun K said that the arrested illegal Bangladeshi immigrants will be taken into police custody on Monday and more details will be known thereafter. ‘‘They are in judicial custody now,’’ he added.
Police is mainly focusing the investigation on how big and deep is the network of those who are accommodating illegal immigrants in the coastal region of the State.
Also, the illegal immigrants had fake Aadhaar cards printed in Udupi and the police are investigating it.