Bengaluru, Aug 10 (IANS) The Bengaluru Police have identified 105 Bangladeshi nationals allegedly staying illegally in the city as part of ‘Operation Mukta’, a special drive launched to identify and verify suspected illegal immigrants residing in different parts of the state capital, police said on Monday.
The citywide exercise was conducted on Saturday, with 58 police teams carrying out inspections and document verification at 58 locations across Bengaluru.
In the Whitefield division, police verified 1,035 people during the operation and identified 62 Bangladeshi nationals who were allegedly residing without valid documents or authorisation.
Similarly, in the Electronic City division, which covers areas including Electronic City, Hulimavu, Parappana Agrahara, Bandepalya, Hebbagodi and Begur, police verified 1,909 people. During the exercise, 43 Bangladeshi nationals were identified.
Police officials said the figures from the two divisions account for the 105 Bangladeshi nationals identified during the latest phase of the citywide operation.
The special drive was launched following allegations that illegal Bangladeshi nationals were settling in different parts of Bengaluru. Police teams have been conducting raids, searches and document verification in several localities, including Whitefield, Kadugodi and Mahadevapura.
Sydulla Adavat, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield division, had said the operation was being conducted across the city on the directions of the Bengaluru Police Commissioner.
“As per the orders of the Police Commissioner, Bengaluru, the special drive has been taken up across the city, including the Whitefield DCP division. More than 500 police personnel and officers are involved in the exercise. The drive will continue,” he said.
According to the police, verification was carried out at more than 30 locations under different police station limits in the Whitefield division. Officials said people suspected of being foreign nationals were subjected to detailed document verification.
“If anyone is found suspicious, we will verify their documents. If we find identity cards of another country or any other clues indicating that they are foreign nationals residing here without authorisation, the matter will be brought to the notice of the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO),” Adavat said.
He said further action, including deportation, would be taken only after the necessary orders were obtained from the competent authorities.
“Once deportation orders are obtained from the competent authorities, further legal action would be initiated, and the illegal immigrants would be sent back to their respective countries,” he added.
As part of Operation Mukta, police are checking identity documents, including Aadhaar and voter identity cards, of people suspected to be staying in Bengaluru without valid authorisation.
Police sources said the exercise is particularly focused on suspected Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas. Officials are also investigating whether some foreign nationals may have obtained Indian identity documents with the assistance of local handlers.
The police have also extended the verification exercise to temporary sheds and makeshift accommodation where migrant workers are staying.
According to police officials, some residents construct temporary sheds and rent them out to construction workers arriving in Bengaluru from other states and districts. Police suspect that some unauthorised foreign nationals could also be staying in such premises.
DCP Adavat said action would be initiated against individuals found to be facilitating the unauthorised stay of foreign nationals.
Police officials said the operation will continue across Bengaluru, with further verification and legal action to be taken based on the documents and evidence gathered during the exercise.
The police have maintained that the drive is aimed at identifying foreign nationals who are staying in the city without valid authorisation, and ensuring that appropriate legal procedures are followed in cases where their status is established.
–IANS
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