K’taka: Four arrested Pak nationals, disguised as Hindus, propagated religion (2nd Lead)

Bengaluru, Sep 30 (IANS) The investigation into the arrest of the Pakistani nationals in Bengaluru has revealed shocking facts.

An official said that all four arrested persons including two women hailed from Pakistani cities of Karachi and Lahore.

“They had managed to obtain Indian passports and indulged in the activity of spreading religion. All accused had taken the identity of Hindus in Bengaluru,” he said

The arrested are identified as Rashidh Ali Siddakki aka Shankar Sharma, a resident of Karachi in Pakistan; Ayesha aka Asha Rani, a resident of Lahore in Pakistan; Hanif Mohammad aka Rambabu Sharma, a resident of Lahore; Rubina aka Rani Sharma, a resident of Lahore in Pakistan.

The police have launched a hunt for Farvez and others. The accused have been presented before the court and taken into police custody for 10 days for investigation. The sleuths of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) have visited the Jigani police station and gathered information about the accused persons.

The police have lodged a case against the accused under the provisions of IPC sections 420, 468 and 471. They are also booked under the Passports Act, 1967 Sections 12(1)(B), 12, 1A (b), 12 (2).

On September 29, Jigani Police got a tip-off about the Pakistani nationals residing in the Rajapura village near Anagha Layout. Two of their relatives were arrested by the Chennai Police in the case of obtaining passports by giving fake documents.

The accused Rashidh Ali Siddakki in the guise of Shankar Sharma and his family members were vacating the house. When inquired Rashidh claimed that he is from New Delhi and residing in the present address for six years. When police questioned him, it was found that all of the accused were in possession of the passports in Hindu names.

However, the police found a writing on the wall saying ‘Mehdi Foundation International – Jashan-E-Younus’. They also found a Muslim religious leader’s photo in the house. When questioned, the admitted stated that they are from Pakistan also admitting that those arrested in Chennai are his relatives.

Rashidh Ali Siddakki the accused stated that he was from Liaquatabad near Karachi and he is living with his wife and her parents by changing their identities as Hindus.

Rashidh stated that he met Ayesha online in 2011 and during the wedding, her family was in Bangladesh. He has also revealed that after suffering at the hands of religious leaders in Pakistan, he had gone to Bangladesh to live with his wife.

He was propagating to people to watch the preachings of religious leader Yunus Al Gohar on Alra TV. The accused got money for his spending from the Mehdi Foundation. The foundation has members from all over the world including India.

After living three years in Bangladesh, the accused was attacked by local religious leaders and one Parvez from India attached to the Mehdi Foundation contacted Rashidh over the phone and offered to take shelter in India and propagate religion from there.

Rashidh had revealed that they came to India through the Malda region in West Bengal by paying agents and reached New Delhi.

In New Delhi, the accused persons had got an Aadhaar card, passport, driving license and Pan cards. The Muslim names were changed into Hindu names to avoid trouble. Rashidh had stated to police that he propagated religion.

In 2018, he went to Nepal to meet the religious leader and met with Wasim and Altaf. They had requested him to come to Bengaluru to propagate religion. After the consent of the religious leader, he was shifted to Bengaluru in March 2018. All documents and passports are registered at the present address.

Rashidh told police he called his family members in Liaquatabad near Karachi and spoke often. The programmes are funded by the Mehdi Foundation. His relatives Mohammad Yasin aka Karthik Sharma, Jainabi Noor aka Neha Sharma and others while returning from Bangladesh were caught by the Chennai immigration authorities.

Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara questioned that if they have been staying in India for 10 years, why did not the intelligence agencies and other institutions track them?

“Even though the passports were done after much scrutiny, they managed to get them,” he said.

He said that many from Bangladesh have come to India. “Every day we are nabbing illegal migrants from Bangladesh and deporting them back. They keep on coming. The borders are porous in Bangladesh, the situation has to be tightened at the borders. It is a matter of concern for the Union government and the military,” Parameshwara stated.

“We have been bringing up the issue of illegal immigrants continuously before the Centre. There are many illegal immigrants living in Bengaluru. We are screening them every day and monitoring the situation every day. We will arrest them and deport them. The information would be given to the Bangladesh High Commission and the Union government. The Centre needs to tighten the security at the borders,” he stated.

–IANS

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