Navi Mumbai: In a major crackdown on illegal immigration, the Navi Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested a man from Karnataka for allegedly preparing fake Indian birth certificates to help Bangladeshi nationals secure Indian passports and reside illegally in the country. Two more Bangladeshi nationals have also been arrested in connection with the case.
About The Case
The accused, Ismail Shabbir Miyan Sheikh, was nabbed from Kalaburagi, Karnataka, following a probe into a case registered at Panvel City Police Station on May 5. Earlier, two men and three women, all Bangladeshi nationals, were found residing illegally in Panvel. A case was registered against them under multiple sections of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, the Foreigners Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
During interrogation, one of the accused revealed that fake documents had been arranged by Mohammad Ismail Aminuddin Yelkar (52), a retired man residing in Karanjade, Panvel. "Yelkar admitted that he got the forged documents made through Sheikh in Kalaburagi. A police team was sent to Karnataka, where Sheikh confessed to producing the fake birth certificates used to obtain Indian passports. He was arrested on May 7," assistant commissioner of police (crime branch) Ajay Landge said.
Further investigation led the police to Mira-Bhayandar in Thane, where the mother and younger brother of one of the arrested women were located. The brother, Rahul alias Mikael Ismail Ghazi, and their mother, Sufiyabegum Ismail Ghazi, were detained from a residence in Bhayandar East. Police confirmed that both originally hailed from Gazipur Thana in Jessore district, Bangladesh.
It was also found that Sufiyabegum had a pending non-bailable warrant issued in 2012 by a Mumbai court in a case registered by the Special Branch. Authorities have since informed the concerned department. Rahul alias Mikael Ghazi was arrested on May 11.
All arrested accused were produced in court on May 13 and remanded to police custody. After the custody period ended, they were sent to judicial custody.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Additional CP (Crime) Deepak Sakore, DCP (Crime) Amit Kale, ACP Ajaykumar Landge, and ACP Dharmapal Bansode (AHTU), along with PI Prithviraj Ghorpade and a dedicated team of officers.
Navi Mumbai Police have issued a public advisory warning citizens against renting properties or offering jobs to illegal immigrants without proper verification. Those found aiding foreign nationals may face prosecution under the Foreigners Act and the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939.
