Mumbai: Bangladeshi national awaiting deportation escapes from ATS custody

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A 29-year-old Bangladeshi national escaped from custody in Mumbai. He was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) three years ago, news wire PTI reported on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Anwar Alias Shahadat Hashim, escaped on Sunday evening, an official said. "He was apprehended by a team of the Maharashtra ATS in 2020 for illegally staying in India with fake documents," he said.

The court had ordered his release after he served a sentence in the case, following which he was kept in the custody of Kalachowki unit of the ATS, the official said, adding that he was to be deported to Bangladesh.

On Sunday evening, Anwar went to the washroom at the Kalachowki unit and fled from the ATS custody, he said.

An offence in this connection was registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) along with the sections of the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Foreigners Order, 1948, he said. A search operation has been launched to trace him, he said.

On October 23, Mumbai police have taken 17 Bangladeshi nationals into custody on charges of residing in India without valid documents and attempting to acquire identification using counterfeit papers. This development follows a tip-off, leading to the arrest of Suman Momin Sardar (31), Omar Farooque Molla (27), and Salman Ayyub Khan (34) in the western suburb of Borivali, stated a PTI report.

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According to the report, the individuals were apprehended while attempting to obtain identification using forged documents, with the police registering an official complaint against them. Further investigations have revealed that Omar and Salman acted as agents, responsible for bringing people into the country unlawfully from Bangladesh.

During interrogations, the accused provided information that led to the discovery of ten Bangladeshi nationals residing in the Gopcharpada area of Virar, with four others situated in Hanuman Nagar of Nalla Sopara, located in Palghar district. All 17 arrested Bangladeshi nationals have been placed under police custody until October 25, as authorities continue to investigate their presence and activities in India. (With inputs from PTI)