Bangladeshi woman faces deportation after 12 years in India:Married Gujarati man after Facebook romance; husband fears for her safety

Police have arrested a Bangladeshi woman in Anand, Gujarat. Kajuli, now known as Kajal, entered India illegally around 12 years ago to marry Tarun, a resident of Anand. The couple later married and now have two sons. However, as she entered India without valid documents, the authorities have started the process of deporting her to Bangladesh. Her husband has appealed to the Indian government to grant her citizenship. Tarun says Kajal has adopted Hinduism and fears that if she is sent back, her family may reject her and her life could be at risk. Love story began on Facebook Tarun Patel, a resident of Lambhvel village in Anand, first met Kajuli through Facebook around 15 years ago. Their friendship gradually turned into a relationship. Kajuli wanted to marry Tarun and had reportedly spent around ₹13,000 to obtain a passport in Bangladesh. However, she was allegedly cheated by an agent and could not get the document. Meanwhile, her family in Bangladesh was pressuring her to marry another Muslim man. According to the family, Kajuli crossed the border illegally in 2016 and reached Gujarat through West Bengal. After arriving in India, she adopted Hinduism and married Tarun. The couple now have two sons, Dhyan, aged 8, and Arsh, aged 2. Phone call to mother led to arrest The case came to light during a Gujarat Police operation against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. A few days ago, Kajal called her mother in Bangladesh, who was reportedly unwell. Police traced the call and, during the investigation, found that she was living in India illegally. On the night of June 2, Anand Local Crime Branch police arrested Kajal and sent her to a women’s shelter while beginning deportation proceedings. Husband fears for wife’s safety Tarun Patel has appealed to the government, saying his wife did not come to India with criminal intentions but to be with the person she loved. He said Kajal has adopted Hinduism and claimed that returning to Bangladesh could put her at risk. According to Tarun, her family may not accept her, and she could face threats from extremist elements. The couple’s eight-year-old son, Dhyan, has also appealed to the authorities, saying he has not seen his mother for 15 days and wants her to return home. Family seeks Indian citizenship for Kajal Tarun Patel has appealed to Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi and the Government of India to consider the case on humanitarian grounds. He argued that while India has provided citizenship to some persecuted Hindus from neighbouring countries, Kajal has also converted to Hinduism and built a family in India. The family has requested that she not be deported and instead be granted Indian citizenship so that the family can remain together and their children are not separated from their mother. ​