Bangladeshi woman arrested in Dehradun for illegal stay:Agent lures her with job promise, arranges bus travel from Delhi

A Bangladeshi woman who allegedly entered India illegally and later reached Rishikesh from Delhi has been arrested by Dehradun Police. Officials said an agent lured her with a job offer and arranged her bus travel. Fake documents, including an Aadhaar card, were recovered from her possession. The arrest was made under “Operation Strike” (Operation Prahar), a special drive ahead of the Char Dham Yatra. This is the second such arrest within a week. Held near Nataraj Chowk on intelligence input According to police, the woman was detained near Nataraj Chowk, at Dag Road Gate No. 3 in Rishikesh, based on intelligence inputs. During questioning, she was identified as Reena alias Rita, a resident of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and was subsequently arrested. Police recovered a Bangladeshi national identity card, citizenship certificate, a fake Indian Aadhaar card, and a mobile phone from her. The recovery of forged Indian identity documents has raised serious concerns for investigating agencies. Earlier, a similar arrest was made in Haridwar, where another Bangladeshi woman was found living under a fake Indian identity. Entered India a month ago via social media contact During interrogation, the accused revealed that about a month ago, a man identified as “Ripon” contacted her through social media and lured her to India with the promise of a job. On April 13, the same agent allegedly sent her a bus ticket from Delhi to Rishikesh. She reached the city soon after and was apprehended by police. Case registered under multiple laws A case has been registered against the woman under Sections 318(4), 338, 336(3), and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Indian Penal Code equivalent), along with Section 3 of the Passport Act, 1967, and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 2025. Further legal proceedings are underway. ‘Police probe possible organised network Rishikesh Circle Officer Neeraj Semwal said that during strict interrogation, the woman admitted to being a Bangladeshi national. Preliminary findings suggest she reached Delhi and then Rishikesh through an agent. “The speed at which she obtained an Aadhaar card points towards an organised network,” he said, adding that efforts are underway to identify others involved. Semwal noted that this appears to be the first such case reported in Rishikesh, though a detailed investigation is ongoing to uncover any larger network. Earlier arrest in Haridwar revealed larger racket On April 8, under Operation Strike (Operation Prahar), another Bangladeshi woman was arrested in the Jwalapur area of Haridwar. She was living under a fake identity and had introduced herself as “Sweety”. Her real identity was later established as Saleha Begum, a resident of Cumilla, Bangladesh. Police recovered her Bangladeshi passport and national identity card. Investigations revealed that she had managed to obtain fake Indian documents, including Aadhaar, PAN card, driving licence, and even an Indian passport. Associate also arrested During questioning, it emerged that in 2023, the woman came in contact with a man named Shyamdas from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, via social media. She later entered India and began living with him in Haridwar. Police have also arrested Shyamdas for sheltering her and helping arrange forged documents. Authorities believe the case points to a larger organised network involved in illegal entry and document forgery. ​