HYDERABAD: Rachkond Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat on Monday said police are on high alert as there might be movement of Rohingya refugees f r o m Ba n g l a d e s h to Hyderabad. The concern arises over the developments in the neighbouring country, where a large group of Rohingya refugees are being moved to a remote island.
“It has come to our notice that there will be movement of some more people from Bangladesh to Telangana and other parts of the country. We are closely monitoring the situation,” Bhagwat said told mediapersons while presenting the annual report of the Rachakonda police. The police had recently arrested two Rohingya, who did not have UNHCR refugee cards, for illegal stay at Balapur.
“However, as there are no specific instructions, the convicts cannot be deported after serving the punishment,” Bhagwat said. There are around 4,500 Rohingya refugees residing in the Rachakonda police commissionerate limits. Their details have been documented and they are being monitored regularly. While biometric details of most of them have been collected, the process is underway for some and will be completed soon, Bhagwat said.
Since the Rachakonda commissionerate’s inception in 2016, there have been 66 cases against Rohingya refugees for various violations — most of these being for possession of forged documents and illegally obtaining identity cards to prove Indian nationality. Two of them were sentenced to two years imprisonment.