A 36-year-old man from West Bengal, identified as Mehbub Sheikh, was reportedly detained by Maharashtra Police, who suspected him of being an illegal Bangladeshi migrant. In a controversial turn of events, he was pushed across the border into Bangladesh by the Border Security Force (BSF) early Saturday morning, according to West Bengal government sources.
Despite intervention efforts from the West Bengal Police and the state Migrant Welfare Board, which provided necessary documentation to substantiate his Indian citizenship, Sheikh was deported without proper notification to state authorities. Samirul Islam, chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board, stated, “We contacted the Maharashtra Police after Sheikh’s family approached us. We sent all required documents, but they did not inform the West Bengal government before pushing Sheikh into Bangladesh.”
Sheikh’s family, residing in Hossainnagar village in Murshidabad district, reported that he had been working as a mason in Maharashtra for two years. His younger brother Mujibur recounted that Sheikh was picked up five days earlier while having tea in Thane, taken to Kanakia police station under the suspicion of being Bangladeshi.
Mujibur explained, “He called us from the police station. We informed local authorities and sent multiple documents to Maharashtra Police, including Sheikh’s voter ID and Aadhaar card. Even our certified family tree from the panchayat was submitted.”
After learning that Sheikh was transferred to a BSF camp in Siliguri on June 13, Shabbir Ahmed, the local panchayat pradhan, rushed to assist but encountered obstacles. “They did not listen to us at the camp,” Ahmed lamented.
On June 14, Sheikh managed to contact his family, stating he was pushed into Bangladesh around 3:30 AM. “He was crying and mentioned he found shelter in a village. He has a wife and three children. We just want him back,” Mujibur said, expressing concern for his brother’s well-being in Bangladesh.
In defense of their actions, Maharashtra Police claimed that Mehbub was unable to provide adequate documentation proving his nationality, asserting that they do not accept Aadhaar and PAN cards as valid proof. Senior Inspector Meghna Burade explained, “We took action on the police commissioner’s orders to detain illegal migrants. Mehbub could not show solid proof, such as a birth certificate, to support his claim of being Indian.”
The timeline of events highlights the rapid escalation from detention to deportation: Mehbub Sheikh was picked up on June 11, family documents were sent on June 12, he was transferred to the BSF on June 13, and finally deported to Bangladesh on June 14.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/bengal-man-in-thane-pushed-into-bangladesh-even-as-family-govt-submit-proof-of-his-citizenship-10069008/
Category: Cities,Kolkata
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Publish Date: 2025-06-16 04:20:00
