The Railway Protection Force (RPF) detained 57 people suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals at Kamakhya railway station in Guwahati on Thursday evening. The group was reportedly travelling on the Brahmaputra Mail.
According to initial information, the group was intercepted at the Maligaon Kamakhya railway station. The RPF suspects that they had travelled from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. Their identities and nationality would need to be established through official verification.
The detention comes amid separate operations by Assam Police in Guwahati over the past two days involving people suspected of entering or staying in India without valid documents.
17 Suspected Bangladeshi Nationals Detained in Separate Operations
Senior police officer Kulendra Nath Deka said at least 17 suspected Bangladeshi nationals had been apprehended in separate operations in Guwahati over the previous two days.
In one operation on Tuesday, five people, including four women and one man, were detained during routine checking aboard the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express near Paltan Bazar railway station. Police said they were travelling towards Maharashtra.
According to police, the five had entered India through the Dawki border in Meghalaya and reached Guwahati on October 5. They had reportedly stayed at a local hotel.
Police later registered a case at Pan Bazar Police Station after examining CCTV footage and other evidence. Four Indian nationals were arrested in connection with allegations that they had facilitated the group’s stay and movement.
13 More Detained During Hotel Raid
In a separate operation on October 7, the Border Branch of the Guwahati Police Commissionerate raided a hotel following specific information and detained 13 people, including four men, four women and five children.
Police said the group had arrived in Guwahati from Delhi and intended to return to Bangladesh. During questioning, they reportedly stated that they had been living in the Srinagar area for several years.
Authorities have initiated legal proceedings for the expulsion of the detained foreign nationals under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950.
Further investigation is underway into the cases and the alleged assistance provided to the groups.
