BENGALURU: The cash-strapped city police who had arrested 60 illegal Bangladeshi nationals in Bengaluru, are in a fix. They have to spend `6.5 lakh to deport them and they don’t know what to do as there are no separate funds from the Central or the State government for the purpose. So they have decided to dip into their own Investigation Funds to foot the bill.
Then what would it cost the police to deport over 3 lakh illegal Bangladeshis said to be in Benglauru? Conservative estimates put it at Rs 100 crore just to transport them. A senior police official involved in the raids which led to the arrests of the 60 immigrants said, “If transporting these 60 is raising a bill of about `6.5 lakh, would the department have enough funds to deport over three lakh illegal Bangladeshis known to be in Bengaluru according to the city’s intelligence unit?” “If we have to bear such expenses we may be forced to stop arresting such illegally staying foreigners,” a police official said in a lighter vein.
The 60 immigrants, who will be deported most likely on November 15, will have to be accommodated in one special bogie under strict guard while being transported to Howrah, West Bengal. The police have already spent Rs 2 lakh on the daily needs of the arrested Bangladeshi immigrants, including toothpaste, bath soaps and food. They have been given accommodation in police stations. However, the women and children are housed in government state home.
City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao, while confirming they would have to bear the expenses -- which includes the deportees’ meals on the way -- told TNIE: “We are going to use Investigation Funds this time for transporting the Bangladeshis to be deported. But in future, if required, we will approach the government for sanction for separate funds.”
‘Our job is to escort them till Howrah’
On October 26, the Extremist Cell of city’s intelligence and Central Crime Branch (CCB) police raided ‘the den’ of Bangladeshi nationals in Marathalli and Ramamurthynagar, and arrested the 60 illegal immigrants. The city police asked the Indian Railways to allot a separate bogie to take the immigrants from Bengaluru to Howrah. The Railways asked the police to reserve tickets for all 60, including the team of up to 20 police escorts. The tickets itself cost approximately Rs 1.25 lakh.
The city police have to book a special bogie for security reasons, for which the department has to pay Rs 5 lakh extra to the Railways. The only other alternative is to spread the deportees in different bogies.
“But we cannot spread them as there are chances of them escaping. And we cannot deploy policemen for different bogies either. If they are in one bogie, our men can ensure none of them escape while covering the close-to-2,000 km journey. We have limited number of escorts,” said a senior police officer. “So, we are left with no other option but book a special bogie.”
The police officials initially toyed with the idea of taking the immigrants by a special flight. In 2017, Belagavi police had deported up to 15 illegal immigrants by flight, but the expenditure is yet to be reimbursed by the Centre. Besides, flying 60 deportees would be many times more expensive than taking them by train.
Now, the plans involve escorting the deportees on Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express. Once the police pay the additional charges for a special bogie, the bogie would be brought from Goa to Hubballi and then to Bengaluru, an officer said. After the city police escort the Bangladeshis till Howrah, the border forces there will deport them to Bangladesh.
“Our responsibility is to escort them till Howrah and hand them over. Till then their security and expenses will be taken care of by us,” a senior officer said. An officer from Ramamurthynagar police station said, “Apart from allocation of separate funds for deporting, the government should also make arrangements for shelters.”
EXPENSES WILL BE Rs 6.5 LAKH
The estimated cost is about Rs 6.5 lakh as the 60 immigrants will have to be accommodated in one special bogie under strict guard while being transported to Howrah. The police have already spent Rs 2 lakh on their daily needs
If transporting these 60 is raising a bill of about Rs 6.5 lakh, would the department have enough funds to deport over 3 lakh illegal Bangladeshis known to be in Bengaluru according to the city’s intelligence unit? - A senior police official