Dehradun Police Arrest Bangladeshi Woman Living Under Fake Hindu Identity; Operation Kalnemi Intensifies

Delhi: The Dehradun Police have arrested a 28-year-old Bangladeshi woman who allegedly lived in India for years by adopting a false Hindu identity and acquiring forged government documents. The arrest was made under Operation Kalnemi, a district-wide crackdown targeting individuals residing in India using fraudulent identities.

Police identified the woman as Babli Begum, originally from Gaibandha district in Bangladesh. She had been living in the Patel Nagar area under the assumed name Bhoomi Sharma. Officials said her identity came under suspicion during routine verification, leading to her detention.

During questioning, Begum reportedly confessed that she entered India illegally during the COVID-19 lockdown. After moving through several locations, she settled in Dehradun in 2021. In 2022, she married a local resident and subsequently obtained multiple fake Indian documents under her false identity.

Police said they recovered forged Aadhaar, Ayushman, ration and voter ID cards, all issued in the name of Bhoomi Sharma. A Bangladeshi identity card found in her possession confirmed her real name, establishing the fraud.

A case has been registered against her under relevant sections for illegal stay, document forgery and identity fraud. Officials said the investigation now focuses on identifying the individuals or networks that helped her generate the forged documents.

In a separate action, police detained another Bangladeshi woman, Bobby Khatun (41) from Bogura district, during a raid in Kalinda Vihar Phase-2. She allegedly admitted to entering India illegally in 2023 and had been working as a daily wage labourer in Dehradun. A photocopy of her Bangladeshi passport was recovered. Authorities have initiated deportation procedures against her.

Just last week, a Bangladeshi man named Mamun Hasan, who had been living under the fake identity of Sachin Chauhan, was also arrested as part of the same operation.

The police said that under Operation Kalnemi, action has so far been taken against 17 Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in Dehradun district. Of these, eight have been jailed for using forged documents, while nine have been deported to Bangladesh.