Bengaluru: Illegally staying foreigners flee rehab centre; cops say they are helpless

Hundreds of foreign nationals are illegally staying in Bengaluru, but the detention centre in Sondekoppa village near Nelamangala in Bengaluru Rural has the capacity to accommodate only 40 people.

Hence, police are forced to keep the detained illegally staying foreign nationals in private rehabilitation centres.

Recently seven Bangladeshi nationals and three Uganda nationals have managed to escape from a rehabilitation centre (New Ark Mission of India Home of Hope) run by a trust on KRC Road in Doddagubbi since July 19.

The main reason for them escaping so easily is the lack of security in the detention centre.

A senior police officer said though they have informed the state government about the need for more detention centres which can accommodate more number of foreign nationals no progress has been made regarding the same.

“Hence, we request the rehabilitation/ashrams to keep the detained illegally-staying foreign nationals. We cannot deploy police at all these places, but our patrolling police will visit during their rounds. Most of these places do not have security guards, but the employees themselves will be guarding the place”, the police officer added.

T Raja, founder/secretary of the centre, told DH, since police requested us to accommodate these illegally staying foreign nationals, we have kept them in our rehabilitation centre which is mainly for beggars and orphans. “We have two separate buildings for men and women”, he added.

The Bangladeshi nationals were accommodated on the second floor of the men’s building. They escaped on the night of July 19 by jumping the compound wall as the gate was locked. In another such incident, three women from Uganda escaped by using a rope to climb down from the third floor through the window on the night of July 27.

The women were accommodated on the third floor of the women’s building 50 meters away from the men’s building. “We have informed about the incidents to (Foreign Regional Registration Offices) FRRO and the police. A complaint was filed on July 28”, Raja said.

‘Tough to handle’

Raja admitted that there are no separate security guards to their ashram, but the employees ensure the gates are locked all the time. “We don’t take money for keeping these foreign nationals. They cook on their own, they spend at least one LPG cylinder a week and take away a tray full of vegetables everyday, we also provide them other daily basic needs. They are tough to handle,” Raja said.

Now, the remaining foreign nationals have been warned that criminal case will be against them and they will be jailed if they escape like others. They have assured the police and Raja that they won’t make any effort to escape.

A senior officer said, we have shared the details of the escaped persons to the FRRO officials and other concerned officials. We have taken up the case under the Foreigners Act and are making efforts to nab them.