Assam to aid probe as Varanasi flags 500 suspected Bangladeshis in statewide crackdown

In a development closely watched in Assam, where the verification of illegal immigrants remains a politically charged and administrative priority, Varanasi Police have identified nearly 500 individuals suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals amid an intensive statewide scrutiny drive. 

Officials confirmed on December 10 that special police teams will soon travel to both West Bengal and Assam to authenticate the documents of those claiming origin from these states.

Varanasi Commissioner of Police Mohit Agarwal said the campaign is currently underway across urban slums and rural pockets to identify potential Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators. 

According to him, around 500 “suspicious individuals” have already been flagged, and their Aadhaar cards, voter IDs and other personal documents have been seized for detailed examination.

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Agarwal noted that several persons have claimed to hail from West Bengal or Assam but have failed to provide valid or legible documentation. Such individuals have been kept under surveillance and given one week to furnish authentic proof of their citizenship, date of birth and native address. Failure to do so, he said, will invite strict legal action.

To verify these claims, police teams will soon visit the respective districts in Assam and West Bengal to coordinate with local authorities and cross-check the details submitted by the individuals under scrutiny. Intelligence agencies have also been tasked with probing whether any local facilitators or organisations helped shelter or resettle the suspected illegal immigrants.

The police commissioner reiterated that the campaign will continue without pause and that no illegal infiltrator would be permitted to take refuge in Varanasi. The crackdown forms part of a broader state-level directive issued by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, aimed at identifying and removing foreign nationals—especially Rohingyas and Bangladeshis—residing illegally in the state.

For Assam, which has long been at the centre of national debates around cross-border migration, the decision to dispatch verification teams underscores the increasing inter-state coordination on citizenship scrutiny and the expanding administrative footprint of such drives across India.