PATNA: A Bangladesh national identified as Pawan Kranti Barua (62) was arrested in Bihar’s Gaya district for staying in Indian territory without a valid visa, police said on May 15.
He was staying in Buddha International Welfare Mission (Sleeping Buddha Monastery) as a Buddhist monk for the past 15 days.
Police recovered a fake Aadhaar card and other documents from his possession. Barua, a native of Kath Khali police station limits in Bangladesh, had entered Indian territory without a visa.
Manoj Kumar Singh, the station house officer of Bodh Gaya police station, said that Barua was trying to hide himself during the verification of monks staying in the Buddha International Welfare Mission on Wednesday.
On suspicion, he was detained at the police station for interrogation.
Initially, he tried to mislead police by revealing his identity as Prafull Chakma, a resident of Arunachal Pradesh. He also produced his Aadhar Card issued from Arunachal Pradesh. However, during verification, the Aadhaar card was found to be fake.
He was immediately arrested for staying in Indian territory without a valid visa, SHO said. On Thursday, he was produced before the chief judicial magistrate in Bodh Gaya who remanded him in 14-day judicial custody at Gaya Central Jail.
“We have informed other investigating agencies about the arrest of a Bangladeshi citizen. They will interrogate him, if need be,” the SHO said, adding that the motive behind his stay in the monastery was being ascertained.
The Bodh Gaya police have been put on a high alert following tensions between India and Pakistan after the killing of 26 tourists by terrorists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.
Meanwhile, police have stepped up vigil in the holy town, which witnesses a surge of tourists, including international ones during summer.
Earlier, three Chinese nationals were arrested from the India-Nepal border in East Champaran district last week. They were arrested while trying to enter Indian territory from Nepal without a valid visa.
The porous India-Nepal border is considered vulnerable for infiltrators sneaking into Indian territory from Nepal.