The Bhopal Police arrested a Bangladeshi man, Abdul Kalam, who was living in India under the alias Neha for decades. He was held in the intervening night between Monday and Tuesday, during a crackdown on illegal migrants.
Who is Abdul Kalam aka Neha?
According to several reports, Abdul Kalam, who is aged around 30-32 years presently, was arrested in Bhopal. He was living as transgender woman, Neha.
Sources told India Today TV that Abdul entered India at the age of 10 and spent nearly 20 years in Mumbai before moving to Bhopal. He had been living in Bhopal for the past 10 years under the assumed identity of Neha Kinnar, the New Indian Express (TNIE) reported.
Sources revealed that Abdul had reportedly maintained the identity of a transgender woman for years in Bhopal to avoid detection by local authorities. He was widely known as “Neha Kinnar” in the locality where he was staying.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs from a specialised unit tracking foreign nationals residing illegally in the state, Abdul Kalam alias Neha Kinnar was traced to the Mangalwara locality in old Bhopal.
A senior Bhopal police official told TNIE, “The third gender individual was recently traced and has since then been questioned by a dedicated team of cops.”
Abdul has been placed under 30-day detention while the authorities initiate formal deportation procedures, India Today reported.
As per TNIE sources, the process of Abdul Kalam aka Neha Kinnar’s deportation to Bangladesh is likely to start over the next few days, once the entire probe about the 10-year-long illegal stay in Bhopal is over.
Forged identity cards
Bhopal police found that Abdul had constructed a false identity as an Indian citizen after forging documents including an Aadhaar card, voter ID, and even a passport.
According to TNIE, Abdul Kalam managed to get the new identity of Neha Kinnar by getting various identity proof documents to give legal sanctity to the false identity.
However, it remains unclear whether these documents were procured in Madhya Pradesh or elsewhere to legally him as an Indian citizen.
It’s alleged that Abdul had made multiple visits to Bangladesh during his decades-long stay using the forged Indian passport.
Police official Shalini Dixit told India Today, “We received credible information through a confidential informant, which led to his identification and subsequent arrest.”
Initial questioning revealed that Abdul Kalam has lived in various parts of the country, including West Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra and MP.
“He has been residing in Bhopal for nearly a decade, but prior to that, he lived in Maharashtra. During this time, he had also returned to Bangladesh, which he managed to do using forged Indian credentials,” Dixit added.
The official said the investigation is ongoing, and “we are closely coordinating with central agencies.”
Gender verification test
According to India Today report, police are preparing to conduct a gender verification test to determine whether ‘Neha’ is biologically transgender or has been disguising himself as one to conceal his identity.