In a continued crackdown on illegal infiltrators, the Bengaluru police have arrested 10 more Pakistani nationals living in India illegally, an officer familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
Jigani police inspector BS Manjunath said: “The accused were settled in various cities including Chennai and Hyderabad, and were involved in an Islamic religious campaign. After learning of their accomplices’ arrest in Jigani, they came to Anekal intending to surrender before the JMFC court. Acting on a tip-off, we arrested them on Tuesday and produced them before the court, which remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days.”
He said the arrested have been identified as Faraju (42), Saleem Khan (48), Ruksana (42), Nousin (40), Nusrat (38), Saifulla (39), Hameeda (44), Mehmood (42), Farzana (54), and Mehnur (44). “All arrested people were found in possession of Aadhaar cards and other Indian documents, which they allegedly obtained after infiltrating from Bangladesh,” he said.
These arrests bring the total number of Pakistani nationals detained in connection with the Mehdi Foundation International (MFI) case to 20. The network, operating across various regions, has sparked concerns about the potential risks posed by their presence and activities in India.
{{/usCountry}}These arrests bring the total number of Pakistani nationals detained in connection with the Mehdi Foundation International (MFI) case to 20. The network, operating across various regions, has sparked concerns about the potential risks posed by their presence and activities in India.
{{/usCountry}}Read more: ‘Some more Pakistani staying here, will be arrested’: Karnataka Minister G Parameshwara
On October 6, the Jigani police arrested Parvez Ahmed, who played a key role in facilitating the creation of forged documents for the group. Ahmed, a native of Uttar Pradesh residing in Bengaluru, reportedly had connections with the Mehdi Foundation International since 2007.
Between September 29 and October 3, the Jigani police had apprehended 10 Pakistani nationals. During their interrogation, it was revealed that the entire group was associated with the Mehdi Foundation and believed to be part of a larger campaign led by Guru Yunus Algor, police said.
MFI president Amjad Gohar said: “Those arrested were instructed to surrender to authorities, which they complied with. Six of them arrived in India in 2007 and the remaining four in mid-2010, adding that six of them have submitted asylum applications recognised by the United Nations Human Rights Council.”