The couple Had Earlier Been Arrested in 2020 for a Similar Offence
Durg, May 17:Police confirmed on Saturday that a Bangladeshi couple has been arrested once again for illegally residing in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district. The duo, identified as Mohammad Rasel Sheikh (36) and his wife Shahida Khatun (35), had previously been arrested in 2020 for the same offence and were currently out on bail.
The couple was apprehended on Friday by the Special Task Force (STF) of Durg police from their rented residence in Contractor Colony, Supela in Bhilai. The STF had been formed specifically to identify and take action against Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals staying illegally in the state.
Addressing a press conference, Durg Senior Superintendent of Police Vijay Agrawal said, “Initially, the woman tried to mislead the police by introducing themselves as Jyoti and Rasel Sheikh from Mominpur village in North-24 Parganas district, West Bengal.”
The couple claimed they lived in Mumbai-Thane from 2009 to 2017, working as catering labourers, and then moved to Bhilai in 2017 to continue the same profession. They presented Aadhaar cards under the names Jyoti Rasel Sheikh and Rasel Sheikh, which were later found to be forged.
Upon thorough interrogation, they confessed to being natives of Jessore district in Bangladesh. Investigations revealed that Khatun entered India illegally via North-24 Parganas in 2009 and worked in Mumbai, where she met Sheikh. After briefly returning to Bangladesh for marriage, the couple re-entered India in 2017 using valid passports and visas.
They obtained Aadhaar and PAN cards using fake documents during their stay in Navi Mumbai. Khatun’s visa expired in September 2018, and Sheikh’s in April 2020. The couple then relocated to Bhilai and continued their catering work.
“They already have a pending case from 2020 regarding illegal stay. An additional FIR for a loot case is also registered against Sheikh in Durg,” Agrawal added. The couple had updated their address from Mumbai to Supela using forged documents and opened bank accounts locally.
They have now been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Indian Passport Act, 1920. A detailed investigation is currently underway.