The Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday detained 39 people in a major crackdown on Rohingyas and Bangladesh nationals living in several districts of Jammu region.
Over 40 places were searched in Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Kishtwar districts of the region.
“Around 30 searches were conducted in Jammu district. Around 39 people have been detained for questioning in the entire Jammu province. The police are trying to identify the aiders and abettors involved in illegal settlement of these foreigners,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu, Anand Jain, said.
The police claimed it recovered land sale deeds, Aadhar cards, bank passbooks, voter cards, mobile SIM cards, etc. from several arrested foreign nationals. It said some locals provided plots of lands to these foreigners to settle in the Union Territory.
‘Foreigners acquired important documents’
“It remains a matter of investigation as to how these foreigners acquired these documents, which are only acquired by the citizens of the country. We will go to the bottom of this matter,” IGP Jain said in Jammu.
Over 10 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been lodged in Jammu province’s five districts to trace these foreign nationals. “An action will follow in all these cases as per the law,” IGP Jain said.
Official sources said 10 Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals and their “facilitators” were detained in Doda district. It has surfaced that these Rohingyas illegally procured Indian identity documents to settle in Doda, the police said. Thirteen people, including seven women, were arrested in Kishtwar district. In one instance, a Gujjar Muslim had married off his daughter to a Rohingya Muslim and allowed him to acquire documents like Aadhaar and ration cards. The arrested included both Rohingyas as well as Bangladeshi citizens.
A police spokesman said the Jammu and Kashmir police, in a decisive move aimed at ensuring national security and safeguarding the interests of the residents of the UT, has taken stringent action against individuals found to be providing shelter to Rohingyas in the region.
“Through investigations and intelligence reports, it has come to light that certain elements have been involved in facilitating the illegal settlement of Rohingyas, posing potential threats to the security and socio-economic fabric of the UT of J&K. The presence of undocumented and unauthorised individuals not only poses security challenges but also has the potential to strain local resources,” the police said.
