TN officials flounder, let 75 arrested Bangladesh nationals escape into thin air

CHENNAI: Exposing gaping holes in the security apparatus in Tamil Nadu, 75 Bangladesh nationals who were arrested by the Tamil Nadu police in the last one year disappeared into thin air after obtaining bail. They were part of around 175 from Bangladesh, who were arrested for illegal stay and travelling without the required documents.

This despite the Supreme Court’s direction issued as recently as January 6 that when a foreigner's presence is required in India to answer a criminal charge, he/she cannot be allowed to leave the country.

As per normal procedure, these 75 suspects should have been lodged in the special camp in Tiruchy where foreign nationals involved in crimes in Tamil Nadu are held. "Even after obtaining bail, these men are supposed to be in the special camp till they are deported. We are trying to get the required order to send them to the camp,” an official told DT Next.

Explaining the procedure, a senior officer said all foreign nationals who are arrested will be initially remanded and lodged at Puzhal Central prison near Chennai. Before they get bail, the investigating officers concerned should send a request to the State Public Department through Q-Branch or Foreign Regional Registration office (FRRO) under the provisions of the Foreigners’ Act, seeking to shift the foreign suspect to the Tiruchy special camp once they get bail.

The suspects can be taken to the special camp only if the Public Department issues a government order, the source said, adding that separate GOs should be issued for each foreigner. But if the department fails to issue the order, as it seems to have happened in this case, the foreign prisoner will walk away once he/she gets the bail and will never return.

Sources in various intelligence agencies, including State and central forces, indicated that the number of Bangladeshi nationals who are staying illegally in Tamil Nadu may run in several thousands. Most of them are working in the suburbs of Chennai, and also in the industrial areas like Tirupur, Coimbatore, Perundurai, Salem etc.

In most cases, they claim to be from West Bengal and have fake Aadhaar and other identity cards to back up the claim. Some officers said that a good number of them could be Rohingya Muslims, who fled Myanmar to escape persecution, and then enter India from Bangladesh.

Infamous escapes:

November 2021: Two South Koreans facing cases for GST evasion and preparing fake documents, including Aadhaar cards, kept under house arrest in Chengalpattu, escaped – despite the police claiming to be guarding the house 24X7. They were earlier lodged in Tiruchy camp

September 2022: A Bulgarian national escaped from Tiruchy special camp

Dreaded criminals let off; inadvertent, say cops

In 2019, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court sought explanation from the DIG (Internal Security), Ramanathapuram Collector, SP (Q-Branch CID), Ramanathapuram SP, Superintendent of Puzhal Prison II, and Kenikkarai police inspector regarding the ‘inadvertent’ release of two Sri Lankan nationals - Sanga Srantha and Mohammad Saffras - from the prison despite the court’s order to deport them. The two Lankans are suspected of being involved in several heinous crimes such as rape, murder, and gang war in Sri Lanka, and had illegally entered India through Tamil Nadu to escape punishment.

Tiruchy special camp in focus

The special camp in Tiruchy, which is managed by the State Revenue Department, houses more than 150 foreigners facing various criminal cases in Tamil Nadu. Majority are from Sri Lanka, followed by Bangladeshi nationals. Most of them are allegedly involved in narcotics cases, murder, robbery, ATM card fraud, Illegal ferrying, Arms Act, fake passport, cheating, attempt to murder cases, etc. The camp was in news recently when the NIA raided the premises after a number of Lankans lodged there were found to be running a narcotics smuggling ring from the inside.