Amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, the Chief Electoral Officer’s office has identified 14 voters possessing both Indian EPIC cards and Bangladeshi passports. These individuals, suspected to be originally from Bangladesh, were reported to the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Kolkata for further investigation. The FRRO confirmed that these voters indeed held Bangladeshi passports and had not returned to Bangladesh after their visa expiry.
Following this revelation, the Chief Electoral Officer’s office has recommended to the Election Commission of India (ECI) the removal of these voters from the upcoming final voters’ list. These 14 individuals, found in North 24 Parganas, Nadia, and East Midnapore districts, are now under scrutiny by law enforcement agencies for holding dual identities. In the past year, authorities have intensified efforts to combat the proliferation of fake documents used by illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators in West Bengal.
Law enforcement agencies have uncovered a systematic process used by criminal networks to provide illegal infiltrators with forged identity documents. This process involves offering shelter near the India-Bangladesh border, obtaining fake birth certificates and ration cards, and eventually securing fake Aadhaar, PAN cards, and Indian passports for these individuals. The investigation continues to address the complex network facilitating the illegal acquisition of Indian identity documents by foreign nationals.
