Security strengthened in Kolkata after arrest of Bangladeshi infiltrators

Kolkata: Security was strengthened in Kolkata ahead of New Year's Day following the arrest of two Bangladeshi infiltrators from the heart of the city, Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma said.

Addressing a press conference, Verma said the police were surveilling the hotels and guest houses and had also asked their management to verify the backgrounds of their employees.

"Because of the timely intervention of Kolkata Police, the recent arrests (of two Bangladeshi infiltrators) have been made possible. Our men are on the prowl," he said, replying to a question.

To prevent any untoward incident on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, 4,500 police personnel would be deployed in Kolkata, he added.

Verma said that watch towers have been set up to monitor crowds, and traffic police would be vigilant to stop drunken driving and rash driving.

On concerns that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants managing to secure Indian passports with fake documents, he said, "We are abiding by guidelines of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and detailed discussions have been held with officers of different police stations."

Officers are visiting homes to verify the documents of passport applicants and the Kolkata Police are coordinating with the passport office to ensure there are no lapses, he added.

On Thursday, a Bangladeshi infiltrator was arrested from Collins Lane. He had been living in a rented house in the Khidderpore area of the city since 2023.

He had procured a fake Aadhaar card with a North 24 Parganas address and a PAN card during his stay here, police said.

Another Bangladeshi was arrested from Marquis Street near Park Street for living in Kolkata for years with fake documents. He was working at a lodge, police said.

Earlier, two members of a Bangladesh-based terror group were arrested from Murshidabad district.