Six Rohingiya arrested in Assam

Six Rohingiya refugees and two Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in South Assam's Silchar town on Sunday night.

Police officials said the eight had entered through India-Bangladesh borders in Tripura and were staying in a rented house in Silchar town in neighbouring Assam's Cachar district for the past four months. They were planning to go to Jammu, where more than 1,500 Rohingiya refugee families have taken shelter for years.

"The preliminary investigation has revealed that two are Bangladeshis and the rest six are Rohingiya refugees who had taken shelter in Bangladesh. Out of the six Rogingiyas, five are minors. We are investigating about purpose of their visit," said the official.

This comes days after at least 65 Rohingiya refugees were caught in Tripura and South Assam's Karimganj districts. Sources said the Rohingiya refugees from Bangladesh are trying to enter India fearing that they could be sent back to Myanmar, where situation continue to be not conducive for the Rohingiays.

Large number of Rohingiyas had fled Myanmar in 2012 and in 2017 following ethnic clash. Nearly 18,000 refugees are living in India as asylum seekers.