Mumbai police arrest 'illegally living' Bangladeshi woman who deleted banned app to escape crackdown

Mumbai: A 31-year-old Bangladeshi woman, Kulsum Shaikh alias Mohini, who had been living illegally in India since 2016, reportedly deleted the banned IMO (In My Opinion) app after police initiated crackdowns on illegal immigrants. Bandra police arrested Shaikh on January 15 after receiving intelligence about her whereabouts.

According to a police official, the banned IMO app is often used by illegal migrants due to its low data consumption and the difficulty in tracing calls made through it. Acting on a tip-off from Assistant Inspector Hanumant Waghmode, the Bandra police apprehended Shaikh while she was at work in Bandra West.

"Mumbai is witnessing heightened police operations against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants since Jan 1 in response to political instability in Bangladesh," DCP (crime) Datta Nalawade told TOI.

The city police's crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants has intensified following the attack on actor Saif Ali Khan. Since the January 19 arrest of the suspected Bangladeshi assailant Shariful Fakir, 20 illegal immigrants have been apprehended. Mumbai police have detained a total of 42 Bangladeshis from various parts of the city since January 1 as part of their ongoing drive to identify, arrest, and deport unauthorized migrants.

Bandra police have apprehended 14 Bangladeshi nationals over the past two weeks as part of their intensified crackdown on illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Crime Branch made two additional arrests in Chembur on Tuesday. According to DCP Nalawade, the suspects, identified as Chanchal Sardar and Firdos Gazi, were captured following a tip-off received by Inspector Dilip Tejankar.

Earlier, the e Union Home Ministry instructed the Maharashtra government to take stringent measures against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the state. This directive was issued through an official communication from the ministry in Delhi to Maharashtra's Home Department. The move came after former Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale raised concerns over the issue, citing a detailed report prepared by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).