Railway police detain nine Bangladeshi nationals for illegal stay in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: The Government Railway Police in Gujarat have detained nine Bangladeshi nationals from Ahmedabad and Vadodara cities for illegal stay in India during its ongoing drive launched in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, in his post on X, said five "illegal Bangladeshi nationals" were detained at the Ahmedabad railway station, while four others were held at Vadodara railway station on April 27.

He also attached ID proofs of some of these detainees to show that they entered India illegally from Bangladesh.

In a release, the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Ahmedabad said its personnel were keeping a close watch on the movement of passengers with the help of Special Operations Group (SOG), Quick Response Team (QRT) and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS).

During one such check, the GRP personnel found four Bangladeshi nationals, including one woman and a child, from platform no 8 of the Ahmedabad railway station, the release said.

Preliminary probe revealed that these Bangladeshi nationals were living illegally in the city, it said, adding that the detainees were handed over to the city crime branch for further action.

In a statement, the GRP unit in Vadodara said MoS Home has given a specific instruction to keep a watch on illegal Bangladeshi nationals travelling by trains. It said special checking drives were being conducted at the railway stations after being instructed by Sanghavi.

During one such checking drive at the Vadodara railway station on April 27, the GRP personnel found five Bangladeshi nationals - a couple, their two children and a man - travelling in Ahmedabad-Howrah Express, it said.

Their documents confirmed that they were citizens of Bangladesh and living in Gujarat without any proper documents, the release added.

The four family members lived in the Chandola lake area in Ahmedabad city, while the fifth person lived in Surat. They were living here by hiding their real identity, but were caught while trying to flee following police action against illegal Bangladeshi nationals in the state, it said.

The authorities have launched a massive demolition drive in Chandola lake area of Ahmedabad following the detention of Bangladeshi immigrants, who were found staying illegally, from the settlements built on the periphery of the water body.