E-Paper
Neha was actually Abdul: Bangladeshi man arrested after 28 years in India
Abdul, after entering India at the young age of 10, spent over 20 years in Mumbai before moving to Madhya Pradesh. He also assumed a transgender identity.
For almost 8 years, the residents of Bhopal's Budhwara area knew 'Neha' as a transgender woman living in their neighbourhood. But under the false identity of 'Neha', Abdul Kalam, a Bangladeshi national, was living in India for the past three decades.
Neha was caught in a late-night operation by Bhopal Police earlier this week, India Today reported. Abdul, who is now under arrest, not only assumed a new gender identity but also forged Indian documents, including an Aadhaar card, voter ID, and even a passport.
Authorities said that Abdul spent two decades in Mumbai before moving to Madhya Pradesh. He also assumed a transgender identity after becoming a member of the local hijra community.
He used his fake passport to travel back and forth to Bangladesh without raising suspicion, the police said.
Abdul posed as 'Neha Kinnar' in Bhopal's Budhwara locality, had lived in the city for nearly a decade. Before that, he reportedly spent close to 20 years in Mumbai after entering India illegally at the age of 10.
His assumed identity as a transgender woman helped him evade detection by authorities and blend seamlessly into the local community, the publication reported.
"We received credible information through a confidential informant, which led to his identification and subsequent arrest. He has been residing in Bhopal for nearly a decade, but prior to that, he lived in Maharashtra. During this time, he had also returned to Bangladesh, which he managed to do using forged Indian credentials. The investigation is ongoing, and we are closely coordinating with central agencies," senior police official Shalini Dixit told India Today.
Authorities have also confirmed that throughout these 30 years, Abdul travelled to and from Bangladesh using his counterfeit Indian passport, raising significant concerns about the integrity of national documentation systems and border security.
Given the implications for national security, the case is under the purview of the of Intelligence Bureau, the Anti-Terrorism Squad, and cybercrime units.
Cybercrime specialists are now analysing Abdul's seized mobile phone, mining call logs and other related data.
Police are also preparing to conduct a gender verification test to determine whether Abdul's transgender identity was genuine.
Abdul, who has been placed under 30-day detention, is currently being held at Talaiya Police Station under high security, with restricted access permitted only to the station in-charge and two designated female officers, the publication further reported.
The Centre has been notified of Neha's arrest.
