Bengaluru:  Bengaluru police have arrested a man named Parvez, accused of helping 22 Pakistani citizens illegally settle in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka by falsifying their identities and assisting them in acquiring official documents under Hindu names. The case came to light after the arrest of a Pakistani family on the outskirts of Bengaluru, leading to further detentions and an extensive investigation.

Case Unfolds with Key Arrests in Jigani and Peenya

The investigation began when four members of a Pakistani family were arrested in Jigani, located on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Following their detention and subsequent questioning, authorities were led to more illegal settlers. Three additional Pakistani nationals were apprehended in the Peenya area of the city, and it was uncovered that several other Pakistanis were living in Karnataka’s Davangere district.

Police have since taken those individuals into custody as well, uncovering a network of fraudulent identity usage to secure residence in India.

Parvez’s Role in Facilitating Illegal Settlements

Parvez, the man now at the centre of this operation, is alleged to have played a crucial role in helping these individuals establish themselves in Karnataka by securing official documents under false Hindu names. This allowed the Pakistani citizens to evade detection for several years. According to police sources, Parvez is currently in custody, and further investigations are underway to uncover the full extent of his involvement.

Earlier Arrest in Jigani Raises Alarms

The case gained attention a few days ago when another Pakistani man, along with his wife and two children, was arrested near Jigani. The family had entered India illegally in 2014 and eventually settled in Bengaluru in 2018. Reports suggest that the wife is originally from Bangladesh, and the couple had met and married in Dhaka before moving to India. Their arrest came after central intelligence agencies tipped off the police regarding their suspicious activities.

The family had reportedly used fake documents to facilitate their stay in India, including obtaining Aadhar cards and even passports. This development has raised serious concerns about the loopholes in the system, as such documents typically undergo rigorous verification processes.

Karnataka Home Minister’s Comments

Karnataka Home Minister and Congress leader G. Parameshwara commented on the situation, expressing concern over how these individuals managed to evade detection for such a long period. He remarked, “As per the information I have received, they have been in India for 10 years. It’s been one year since they came to Bangalore. They’ve taken 3-4 people into custody. They’ll investigate them and ascertain why they came here. There is information that they were here for 10 years.”

The Home Minister further questioned how the intelligence agencies failed to detect their presence and involvement, stating, “If they were really here for 10 years, how did intelligence not know about this? They’ve gone to the extent of getting passports as well. Passports are issued after a lot of scrutiny, and they have managed to get passports as well. They’ve changed their names and got Aadhar cards as well. Let’s see what further information comes out.”

Investigations Continue

As investigations continue, authorities are trying to ascertain the motives behind these illegal settlements and the extent of the network involved. The arrests have brought to light not only the risks posed by undocumented individuals living under false identities but also the potential lapses in the documentation and intelligence systems that allowed them to go undetected for years.

The case has prompted a deeper probe into how these individuals managed to obtain legal documents such as Aadhar cards and passports, despite being in the country illegally. The outcome of the investigation will likely shed light on the flaws in the current verification processes, and measures may be implemented to prevent such incidents in the future.