Bangladeshi arrested after 34 years in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Mohin Hayat Badshah Sheikh, a 51-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant, was arrested for illegal entry and possessing Indian documents without citizenship.

MUMBAI: A Bangladeshi immigrant who has been living in Mumbai for the last 34 years, and who has even voted in elections in India, has been arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Cell (ATC) of the Cuffe Parade police. The accused, who hails from Chittagong in Bangladesh, has been identified as Mohin Hayat Badshah Sheikh, 51. He illegally entered India when he was only 17 years old. Since then, Sheikh has acquired vital Indian documents such as an Aadhaar card and a PAN card, and has made multiple trips between India and Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi arrested after 34 years in Mumbai

A police officer with the Cuffe Parade ATC said they were tipped off about Sheikh by the Nagpada ATC, and a team was constituted to arrest him. “He crossed the border illegally and came to India and lacked official travel documents,” said the officer.

Police said that Sheikh possessed an Aadhaar card, a PAN card, a voter card and a driver’s licence. “The accused even voted in the Lok Sabha and state elections,” the officer revealed. He also had a Bangladeshi national ID card and birth certificate but doesn’t have an India passport.

According to the police, Sheikh has been teaching Urdu and the Quran to children across Mumbra, Kurla, Govandi and Parel since 1990, when he first came to Mumbai. He also owns a shanty in Ambedkar Nagar in Cuffe Parade. Sheikh was employed at Hotel Supreme, where was a cleaner. On the premises, he also tutored children. He has confessed to sending money to a friend in rupees, who in turn would send money in Bangladeshi currency to his family back home.

Police said Sheikh last visited Bangladesh in 2021. He would fly to Kolkata and then pay agents to take him across the border to Chittagong. Sheikh has been remanded to police custody until December 24.