Kolkata FRRO Flags Voter ID Fraud by Bangladeshi Nationals
The Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Kolkata has formally urged the Election Commission of India to immediately cancel the Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) of 22 Bangladeshi passport-holders who have been found in possession of fraudulent Indian voter IDs and Aadhaar cards. Among these individuals, two are identified as businessmen who had established operations in India using illegally obtained documentation.
Airport Immigration Checks Uncover Systematic Fraud
The investigation began when immigration authorities at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport detained several Bangladeshi nationals during routine checks. Subsequent verification revealed that all 22 individuals, along with their family members, were residing in India under various pretexts—including medical reasons—while holding valid Bangladeshi passports alongside fraudulently acquired Indian identity documents.
"The ERO will delete the names of 22 Bangladeshis from the electoral roll after due hearing. We will inform the FRRO after the deletion of names," confirmed an Election Commission official, highlighting the procedural steps being taken in response to the FRRO's alert.
Scale of the Issue: Thousands of Suspect Cases
This case is not isolated. Over the past two to three months, the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer has received close to 3,000 names of Bangladeshi passport-holders who are allegedly holding Indian EPICs. The FRRO's communications, accessed by media, detail multiple instances of immigration fraud discovered at the airport.
In a letter dated February 3, the FRRO reported that a Bangladeshi national, along with his wife and son, attempted to depart from India to Bangladesh. "During immigration, it was revealed that the passenger and his family members fraudulently obtained Indian documents to settle down in India permanently," the note stated, also naming three relatives involved.
Multiple Cases of Fraudulent Entry and Settlement
On the same day, the FRRO documented two separate incidents:
- Two Bangladeshi nationals arriving from Bangladesh were found to have "fraudulently obtained Indian documents" after entering the country.
- A Bangladeshi couple, who initially came to India on a medical visa, overstayed and acquired Indian IDs illegally to settle permanently.
Further communications on February 4 revealed six more Bangladeshi nationals who had obtained Indian IDs, including EPICs, to establish residence in India. Notably, one individual had even managed to secure a GST number illegally to run his own business.
"In this context, it is proposed that such fraudulently obtained Indian IDs may be revoked by the competent authority at the earliest," the FRRO emphasized in its correspondence to the Bengal CEO.
Expanding Investigation and Legal Implications
By February 5, the FRRO had identified another six Bangladeshis in three separate communications, all of whom had fraudulently acquired Indian voter cards and other documents with the intent of permanent settlement. Among the total 22 cases, two individuals had also obtained Indian passports through fraudulent means, compounding the severity of the violations.
The FRRO's systematic reporting underscores a coordinated effort to address identity fraud that threatens electoral integrity and national security. The Election Commission's pending actions to delete these names from electoral rolls mark a critical step in safeguarding the sanctity of India's democratic processes.
