65 Indian Passports Acquired Illegally by Bangladeshis and Myanmar Nationals: Know How a Rohingya Man Built a House in Pune with Fake IDs for Rs 500

Pune (The Uttam Hindu): Authorities in Pune and Goa have been informed about 65 Indian passports allegedly obtained illegally by nationals from Bangladesh and Myanmar. In July, the Pimpri-Chinchwad police arrested four Rohingya individuals—two men and their wives—for allegedly residing in India without proper documentation. They were living in the cantonment area of Dehu Road, Pune. An investigation revealed that one of them, 43-year-old Mujammil Mohammad Amin Khan, had built a house in Pune and acquired Indian identity documents, including passports, for himself and his wife.

According to police records, Khan had completed a "Maulana course" from an Islamic organization in Myanmar and previously lived there with his wife and two daughters. The family migrated to Bangladesh around December 2012. While staying in a refugee camp there, Khan struggled to find work and eventually learned about job opportunities in West Bengal.

At some point, Khan separated from his wife and married a Rohingya woman named Shafiqa, who later gave birth to a son. He allegedly crossed into India in mid-2013 with his second wife and son, aided by traffickers, through the international border in West Bengal. Initially heading to Kolkata, Khan was unable to secure proper employment.

Khan then moved to Pune by train and found work at a private company in Talegaon MIDC. The company provided him with accommodation, and he settled there with his family. The investigation revealed that an employee at the company, who has not yet been identified, played a role in bringing individuals from Myanmar and Bangladesh to Pune.

To supplement his income, Khan began selling children’s clothing at Dehu Road, sourcing the items from Bhiwandi in Thane district.

Further investigation uncovered that Khan had acquired an Aadhaar number from a shop in Bhiwandi for just Rs 500, without presenting any documents. Police suspect that agents in Bhiwandi submitted forged paperwork at the Aadhaar enrollment center on his behalf, resulting in the issuance of the Aadhaar card, which became his Indian identity document. He then also obtained an Aadhaar card for his wife.

Khan later met a man named Kamalbhai at a mosque in Pune, who introduced him to the betel nut (supari) business. Khan began selling supari in local markets and came into contact with Chandrabhaga Kamble from Dehu Road during this time.

The police revealed that Khan “purchased” about 600 square feet of land from Kamble, located next to her house in Gandhi Nagar, Dehu Road, for Rs 80,000 in cash. No formal property documents were prepared for the transaction. Khan took possession of the land and constructed a house there. For nearly a decade, Khan and his family lived on the property, passing themselves off as Indian citizens. During this time, his wife gave birth to a daughter, and Khan obtained Indian passports while continuing his supari business.

However, Khan was eventually caught by the police after the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad’s Pune unit raided his house in July, along with Shahid alias Sohiddul Shaikh, a 35-year-old Rohingya man from Myanmar. Shaikh had been arrested earlier from Dehu Road for allegedly living in India illegally with his wife since 2015. Shaikh revealed to the police that “Mujammil Mamu” from Dehu Road was also from Myanmar, prompting the authorities to take Khan into custody.

An FIR was filed against Shaikh, Khan, and their wives on July 27 at the Dehu Road police station under the Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissionerate. The charges included violations of the Foreigners Act and the Passport Act.

The police seized mobile phones, SIM cards, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, Bangladesh currency notes, and Indian passports issued to Shaikh, Khan, and Shafiqa. Additionally, Khan's "Maulana course" certificate and a Myanmar identity card bearing his name and photograph were also recovered. According to the police, the suspects were later granted bail, and the case is still pending in court.

Upon visiting Khan's house in Dehu Road, it was found to be locked, and neither Khan nor his family members were available for comment. Family members of Chandrabhaga Kamble, the woman who sold the land to Khan, stated that they were unaware of his foreign nationality. Kamble had passed away several years ago, and the land is still listed in her name on government records. However, it appears that Khan managed to get the electricity bill registered under his name, according to the police. Neighbors identified Khan as a supari vendor but mentioned that they hadn't seen him for several days.

The Pimpri Chinchwad police have written to passport authorities to cancel the passports of Mujammil Khan and other suspects from Myanmar. This comes after Indian passports were seized from several foreign nationals, including Bangladeshis, who were arrested in Pimpri-Chinchwad earlier this year. Some Bangladeshis are even suspected of traveling abroad using Indian passports. Police have alerted passport offices in Pune and Goa about the 65 Indian passports allegedly acquired illegally by nationals from Bangladesh and Myanmar. V D Raut, Assistant Police Inspector with the Anti-Terrorist Bureau (ATB) of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police, confirmed that some of these foreign nationals had traveled abroad using these passports. Shivaji Pawar, Deputy Commissioner of Police overseeing the ATB, stated that the activities of suspicious foreign nationals are being monitored closely.