Police have launched an investigation against a Dhakuria resident who allegedly entered India from Bangladesh without valid documents over 30 years ago, only to be discovered when he applied for an Indian passport.
The Kolkata Police’s Security Control Organisation (SCO) initiated the probe after registering a case against the man, who allegedly crossed the border in 1991 and has been living in the city ever since. Police have withheld his identity as he has not yet been arrested.
Preliminary investigations revealed the man entered Bengal through Bongaon and Basirhat in North 24-Parganas multiple times in 1991, allegedly without a valid passport or visa, before settling permanently in Dhakuria.
“After entering Calcutta, the man managed to obtain a PAN card, Aadhaar card, and voter ID using his Dhakuria address. The irregularities came to light when he applied for an Indian passport,” said a police officer.
The fraud was detected when authorities verified his supporting documents. “The birth certificate he submitted was issued by a gram panchayat in Gosaba, South 24-Parganas. During verification, it turned out to be fake,” the officer said.
The case has gained significance as sleuths suspect the man may be connected to a larger network involved in issuing 240 fraudulent passports in Bengal without proper verification. The Regional Passport Office, Calcutta, uncovered this racket in December 2024.
The broader investigation has resulted in several arrests, including that of Abdul Hai, a retired police sub-inspector who worked in the SCO’s passport section. Hai was responsible for clearing at least 52 of the approximately 240 problematic passport applications during his three-year tenure before retirement.
The detection comes weeks after Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma instructed field officers to conduct more stringent checks during passport application verification.
“Verifying applicant details is our responsibility. The field officers have been asked to take steps to ensure there is no mistake on our end. We have recently implemented additional measures to tighten the verification process,” Verma said on June 5.
The case, registered with Bhowanipore police station, has been reported to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office under the SCO.