Author: Our Correspondent
Publication: The Telegraph
Date: March 20, 2003
URL: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1030320/asp/bengal/story_1784326.asp
A group of 28 Bangladeshis was arrested
at Kamlapur in Nadia's Chakdah police station area yesterday for trying
to cross over to their country without valid travel documents.
"These people, who were working
in Mumbai and Delhi, had been in touch with each other. Some time ago they
decided to cross over to Bangladesh and left from Mumbai, where they had
gathered. They got off at Burdwan a few days ago. They hired taxis there
early this morning to get to the Petrapole border in North 24-Parganas
to cross over clandestinely," said sub-divisional police officer Prasun
Mukherjee.
In January, similar groups fleeing
to Bangladesh from Mumbai were apprehended at Jhargram and Burdwan.
Mukherjee said one of the drivers
of the two Tata Sumos the group of men, women and children had hired became
suspicious on hearing their dialect and decided that they were Bangladeshis.
"Afraid that they might get a raw deal at the border, the taxi drivers
stopped their vehicles at Kamalapur near Chakdah and forced the group to
alight with the baggage," the officer said.
The streets were filled with Holi
revellers around 10 am, and soon a crowd gathered as the group argued with
the drivers over the fare. Word reached the Chakdah police station and
a team arrived to take the group into custody.
Policemen present during interrogation
said the 19 men in the group told them that they were fleeing India after
being subjected to police harassment both in Delhi and Mumbai. "Most of
these men and women worked as household help or labourers. It seems that
the tension caused by the police there scared them," an officer said. There
are seven women and five children in the group.
The group said they knew that thousands
of illegal immigrants were returning to Bangladesh via Petrapole in Bongaon
without any problem and they were "following suit".
"The arrested persons have been
produced before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate here and charges
have been filed against them under the Foreigners Act," Mukherjee said.
