AGRA, July 23 -- A court in Agra has sentenced 18 Bangladeshi nationals to three years of imprisonment for residing illegally in India using forged Aadhaar and PAN cards. The accused had been arrested by the Sikandra police on February 5, 2023, from Awas Vikas Colony in Agra. Those who have been sentenced to three-year imprisonment include eight women and 10 men, mainly from the Khulna, Jasore and Naupada districts in Bangladesh. According to Rajesh Kumar, the prosecution officer in the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) in Agra, a total of 28 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested from Awas Vikas Colony for illegally staying in India. During the operation, police recovered 35 fake Aadhaar cards and one fake PAN card from their possession. The trial against the accused began in 2023. The charge sheet was filed in the case on March 31, 2023, and the CJM court delivered the verdict on July 16. Eighteen were sentenced to three-year imprisonment, while the hearing against the remaining 10 continues, Kumar said. He further said that the accused had established a settlement (basti) in Sector 14 of Awas Vikas Colony. They had managed to obtain electricity connections and were found in possession of items such as dish TV cables and washing machines. The matter was exposed when sub-inspector Gaurav Katiyar from Sikandra police station recovered 35 forged Aadhaar cards and one fake PAN card from the accused arrested on February 5, 2023. A case was registered at the Sikandra police station under sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable documents), 471 (using forged document as genuine) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 14(c) of Foreigners Act 1946. Those sentenced to three-year imprisonment include Hasan, Julie, Sumi, Fatima Begum, Vishiti, Juel Sheikh, Rav-ul-Sheikh, Farooq, Bablu Khan, Sabir, Beauty, Roshan Arah, Bilal, Haalim, Islam Khan, Mobina, Manor-ul-Sheikh, and Joshina Khatoon....