New Delhi, Feb. 9 -- A wedding ceremony in West Chikanmati village in Phansidewa under Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad was a scene of utter chaos when police arrested the groom late on Friday night. The groom, a Bangladeshi national, had overstayed his visa.
The accused, identified as Ujjal Singha, hails from Thakurgaon, Bangladesh. He had entered India on September 18 on a tourist visa but continued to stay in Siliguri even after his visa expired on November 29. According to sources, Ujjal had developed a romantic relationship with a woman from Siliguri while staying at his relative Sunil Singha's house in West Chikanmati. He also took up a job at a local factory. Despite the expiry of his visa, he remained in India without seeking an extension.
On Friday, as Ujjal was about to get married to the woman at his relative's house, police received a tip-off about his illegal stay and arrested him from the wedding venue. Ujjal was produced before the Siliguri Court on Saturday, where he was sent for 14 days of judicial custody. Meanwhile, the Raiganj police arrested two Bangladeshi nationals from Subashganj in North Dinajpur district on Saturday night. The accused have been identified as Mahammad Rashedul Islam (28) from Ulipur in Kurigram district and Rafiqul Minza (35) from Gaibandha in Khagar Bazar district of Bangladesh. They were produced before the court on Sunday. According to police sources, the duo had illegally entered India a few months ago without valid passports and had been working in Delhi. Recently, they returned to Raiganj with plans to re-enter Bangladesh through an unspecified border in North Bengal. Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended them near Subashganj Bazar. Authorities are now probing possible links and the route taken by the accused to enter the country. Inspector in-charge of Raiganj Police Sstation, Biswasroy Sarkar, stated: "We had received information about Bangladeshi nationals moving around Subashganj. Based on the intelligence reports, we conducted a raid and arrested them." In another incident, English Bazar police arrested a Bangladeshi intruder. On Saturday night, the Lukochuri Outpost Police apprehended him from a mango orchard near the India-Bangladesh border, behind the Loton Mosque. The accused, Fazlul Haque 34, hails from Parbatipur in Dinajpur district, Bangladesh. He claimed he came to India seeking work but did not specify details.
Police suspect he entered the country hidden in a truck. BJP alleges infiltration is politically motivated, while TMC blames BSF's negligence.Security has been tightened along the border, and investigations are ongoing. The accused was presented in Malda district court on Sunday.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.