Did Illegal Bangladeshi Infiltrators Vote In Indian Elections?

In a major crackdown on illegal activities involving Bangladeshi immigrants, Delhi Police have exposed a network that facilitated the creation of counterfeit Indian documents, allowing immigrants to vote and access government services. Investigators revealed that two websites, now shut down, generated over 300,000 fake birth certificates, 20,000 Aadhaar cards, 10,000 voter IDs, and thousands of other documents, including PAN cards and educational certificates.

The Scale of the Operation

The websites, identified as Janta Prints and Bharat Sewa, enabled users to print fake documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, Covid-19 vaccination certificates, and Class 10 and 12 certificates. These services were remarkably cheap, priced between ₹2 and ₹30, making them accessible to individuals from economically weaker backgrounds.

According to officials, these fake documents were used to create Aadhaar cards and voter IDs that appeared genuine upon verification. For instance, 32 Aadhaar cards and five voter IDs recovered from seven Bangladeshi nationals recently arrested were confirmed to be valid and could be used to vote in Indian elections.

A Deeper Investigation

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan explained that while the recovered IDs were legitimate, they were obtained using fabricated documents like birth and educational certificates. “We are delving deeper into the nexus to understand the extent of this operation and its ramifications,” Chauhan said.

The police have contacted the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to investigate how the fake supporting documents bypassed security checks, enabling the issuance of genuine IDs.

Arrests and Deportations

In the past month, 11 agents allegedly facilitating the procurement of fake documents for illegal immigrants have been arrested. Additionally, more than a dozen Bangladeshi nationals, who were residing in India illegally, have been deported.

Police suspect that the network spans across borders, with agents operating on both sides of the Indo-Bangladesh boundary. These agents reportedly assist illegal immigrants in crossing over into India through porous regions in West Bengal and Meghalaya. Once in India, the immigrants acquire fake documents and are sent to urban centers where they secure low-profile jobs.

Implications for Elections

One alarming discovery was that five voter IDs, issued to Bangladeshi men, were created in 2021. This raises concerns that these individuals could have participated in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as registered Indian voters.

Border Nexus Under Scrutiny

Preliminary investigations suggest a well-organized cross-border racket. Agents in Bangladesh collect money from individuals seeking to enter India, facilitating their illegal entry via contacts in India. These immigrants then use forged documents to blend into the population.

Police teams remain stationed in border regions to probe the network further, and additional arrests are expected as the investigation progresses.

The Delhi Police are now working to dismantle the network and identify loopholes in the system that allowed fake documents to produce valid IDs. Coordination with border security agencies and central authorities is underway to ensure that such fraudulent activities are curtailed in the future.

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