3 Bangladeshi nationals held at Pune airport fleeing to Guwahati
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Three Bangladeshi nationals — two women and a juvenile — were detained at Pune Airport on 18 May while allegedly attempting to board a flight to Guwahati, Assam, in a joint operation by city police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The arrests are part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal immigrants residing in Pune, with 97 Bangladeshi nationals detained by the force over the past ten-and-a-half months.
How the Operation Unfolded
Deputy Commissioner of Police Krushikesh Ravale of Zone 1 received a credible tip-off that two women and one male Bangladeshi national were preparing to board a Pune-to-Guwahati flight. Acting swiftly, Senior Police Inspector Shashikant Chavan deployed Sub-Inspector Mahendra Kamble with an investigation team to the airport.
Officers from the Vimannagar Police Station, led by Officer Palve, coordinated with a CISF team under Santosh Kumar Agnihotri to intercept the suspects before they could board. Teams from Khadak Police Station were also part of the joint effort.
Who Was Detained
During preliminary interrogation, the three individuals identified themselves as Shahinoor Begum Shaikh, aged 42; Shagurika Begum Yulia Shaikh, aged 28; and Topu alias Murad Ahmed Shaikh, aged 16 years and 9 months. All three reportedly hail from Bangladesh and were found to be residing in India without valid documentation.
According to investigators, the trio had travelled to Pune from Solapur and were attempting to leave Maharashtra to evade detection by local authorities.
The Directive Behind the Crackdown
The operation was carried out following strict directives issued by Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, who had instructed all police stations under his jurisdiction to take decisive action against foreign nationals staying illegally within city limits. The overall supervision of the operation also included Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjankumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner of Police Rajesh Bansod, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Anuja Deshmane.
Scale of the Crackdown
The three detentions bring the total number of Bangladeshi nationals arrested by Pune Police to 97 over the past ten-and-a-half months, according to official figures. The detained individuals have been handed over to the Vimannagar Police Station for detailed interrogation and legal proceedings.
This case is the latest in a pattern of coordinated airport-level interceptions, signalling a shift toward pre-departure enforcement as authorities attempt to prevent illegal immigrants from relocating across state lines before detection.