The Enforcement Directorate has accessed at least 15 additional complaints, all filed with local police stations in Jharkhand, with allegations of fake Aadhaar cards linked to Bangladeshi nationals, involved in land grabs in the state. This came after an ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week in Ranchi, based on an FIR.
The ED is now expanding its probe, focusing on the nexus between illegal infiltration, forged identity documents, and money laundering activities.
There have been rising political tensions over the issue as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah accused ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the state’s chief minister, Hemant Soren, of appeasing Bangladeshi infiltrators and facilitating their stay.
As the political storm rages, with accusations being traded over the unchecked infiltration and its impact on local demographics, the ED’s focus is now on uncovering the money laundering networks tied to these activities.
Larger conspiracy, land grab, fake Aadhar rackets
The investigation is set to delve deeper and is expected to cover several such zones that have turned into the hub of fake Aadhar and passports. As the controversy over Bangladeshi infiltration escalates, political leaders are engaged in a blame game and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its investigation into the issue.
The agency is also investigating the use of fake passports and Aadhaar cards, which are suspected to be part of a larger organised racket facilitating illegal land transactions and other criminal enterprises.
A senior officer of the directorate said, “Jharkhand’s Sahibganj has become a hub of such infiltrators. In the latest case, that we have taken from the local police, the trafficked women were brought to Jharkhand via Kolkata. Some localities of West Bengal, including Kolkata have been used as the transit routes. At least 15 more cases of alleged Bangladeshi nationals involved in land grabs, trafficking and the use of fake Aadhaar cards in Jharkhand have also reached us.”
What was there in the original FIR?
News18 has accessed the original FIR, that was lodged with Bariyatu police station on June 4, 2024. According to the FIR, Nipah Akhtar Khushi, aged about 21 years, hailing from Bangladesh, was brought to Kolkata by a girl named Manisha Rai with the help of another girl named Jhuma at the midnight of May 31. They illegally crossed the Bangladesh border through the jungle area, in connivance with private agents. They were brought to Jharkhand for the purpose of trafficking. Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 34 of IPC 1860, Section 12 of Passports Act 1967; Section 14-A of Foreigners Act, 1946 were slapped.
“The case involves the illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi citizens into India, facilitated by agents who provide them with fake documents to establish Indian citizenship. Multiple individuals are implicated in criminal activities related to this infiltration, including the creation of fraudulent identity proofs, which are considered proceeds of crime under Section 2(1)(u) of the PMLA, 2002,” said a senior officer.
“It is, therefore, necessary to investigate the illegal infiltration of individuals from Bangladesh into India, as well as the agents facilitating these activities, which are aimed at acquiring – Proceeds of Crime – and committing other criminal offences. As such, a thorough and comprehensive investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, is required,” he added.
This deepening probe by the ED into the financial and identity fraud aspects suggests that the infiltration issue goes beyond mere illegal immigration, extending into a nexus of criminal activities, potentially implicating local political and administrative systems. The findings are likely to intensify political tensions even more in the region in the run up to the assembly election, further fuelling the ongoing debate over border security and governance failures.
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