Police in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district have detained 21 people suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children, after intercepting them during a verification drive in the Banihal area, officials said.
According to police, the group was stopped at a checkpoint on Sunday while travelling towards the Kashmir Valley in two vehicles from Jammu. During document verification, they were allegedly unable to produce valid travel or immigration documents authorising their stay in India.
The group was taken into custody for detailed questioning and further legal and immigration-related procedures.
Police said all 21 detainees are believed to be from different parts of Bangladesh’s Sylhet district. Preliminary inquiries suggest they may have entered India through Assam before travelling by train to Jammu and then proceeding towards Kashmir.
Investigators are examining the circumstances of their entry into the country and whether any individuals or networks facilitated their movement across states or provided logistical support.
A case has been registered, and further legal action will depend on the outcome of the investigation. Authorities said the operation is part of an ongoing drive to identify and take action against foreign nationals allegedly residing in India without valid documentation.
Six Bangladeshi Nationals Detained in Delhi
In a separate incident, Delhi Police detained six Bangladeshi nationals during a verification drive at hotels and guest houses in central Delhi.
The six were found staying at a hotel on Arakashan Road in Nabi Karim and were allegedly overstaying the period permitted under their double-entry visas.
They were produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which issued restriction orders and shifted them to a detention centre pending deportation proceedings.
Police said no previous criminal involvement had been found against the six, and the matter is being processed under immigration laws.
