BENGALURU: Looks like the heat of BS Yediyurappa government’s recent proposal to include Karntaka into NRC has finally led the police to act on the illegally staying Bangladeshis in Bengaluru. The raid in two places in the city, according to Extremist Cell Wing of city’s intelligence, is just the tip of an iceberg. There are more than three lakh Bangladeshis who are staying illegally in the city.
Interestingly, there was a report compiled by the Extremist Cell from past few months and was submitted to their higher officials. However, the report which was lying in cold storage for all these months was finally looked into after Bhaskar Rao in a general meeting held with the intelligence officials, reportedly asked if there was anything being done about illegal migrants in the city.
Sources said, Dr M Ashwini, Intelligence DCP immediately gave him the details of the report already prepared by them on Bangladeshi nationals. Rao directed the joint commissioner of police (Crime) Sandeep Patil to look into the report and take necessary action.
Patil then reportedly had a meeting with Intelligence officers the next day and assured that the CCB will raid the places and asked the the Extremist Cell to be part of the raid for the first time in the history.
“We arrested the illegal migrants based on their report and we involved Intelligence officials in the raid for first time in the history as they do the groundwork and report to us. So, it will be encouraging for them to be part of raid,” Sandeep Patil said.
How do they reach Bengaluru
According to the intelligence report, it is the so called Thekedars (contractors) who play a major role in these migrants entering the country. One thekedar in Bangladesh and the other who is also an illegal migrant but managed to settle in India brings these people with the help of officials in border.
“The already settled thekedar will call to his counterpart in Bangladesh based on the requirement of work in various states and bring so many people,” an officer said.
Once they gain entry into India through border, the migrant goes to West Bengal and then from there they go to Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and few stay back in West Bengal. There they manage to get the identity proofs of Indian citizens including Aadhar card, voter ID, ration card with the help of agents. Once they get the ID proofs they are later spread to various states of India including Karnataka.
Where are the most illegal Bangladeshis in city
According to the report most illegal Bangladeshis stay in Varthur, Bellandur, Marathalli, Amruthalli, Bagalur, KR Puram, Ramamurthynagar, Bagalagunte, Begur, Talaghattapura, Konankunte, Soladevanahalli and HSR Layout police station jurisdictions. They come to Bengaluru by train and get down in KR Puram or Cantonment railway station, an officer explained.
What work they do?
The migrants will mainly work as labourers. The women and men work as scrap collectors. They go to all the places including wines stores, bars and restaurants and collect the empty bottles, while other collect all the scrap lying on the roadside and also few collect papers, waste metal objects, used water bottles, asphaltic sheets , wooden and give it to the scrap dealer. The report says that the youths aged between 16-25 years are made to work in shoe and slipper factories in KG Halli and DJ Halli police station limits.“These people go to collect scrap starting from 3.30 am and return in the afternoon for lunch and then again go out and many of them stay in the sheds provided by scrap dealers who own land in these areas,” a senior officer said.
How they manage to stay illegally
A CCB officer who was part of raid said, the local police station gets monthly mamool by the contractors who bring them illegally, so there will be no action on them. But, few police stations refuse to take money, but they don’t put case as deporting them is a huge process where we (police) end up spending lakhs of rupees to provide basic needs to these migrants.
How Extremist Cell staff identified these Bangladeshi nationals:To prepare the report the extremist cell has reportedly put in a lot of hardwork. The sleuths went in plain clothes and introduced themselves as government officials who have came to take census and provide them facilities by government under various schemes.
“we made them confess their real names, their native village etc and also made video recording of them accepting they are Bangladeshis. At this time most of them told they don’t have passport or any other documents of their Bangladeshi national identity, but when raided the officials found them,” an intelligence official said.
The migrants reportedly told the police that they come here because Rs 1000 earning in India is equal to 2000 Bangladeshi Taka (currency).
Rao shocked by seeing posh sheds
Interestingly when Rao went to the spot after the raid was surprised to see that these sheds and tents had absolutely no fire safety measures and looked like they were in a pathetic condition but inside they had manged to have air conditioner, washing machine, LED TV’s and all other electronics. They were reportedly leading a lavish life.