A court in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday sentenced two years of rigorous imprisonment to nine Bangladeshi nationals, including three women, for illegally entering India. The verdict was pronounced by the court of Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate, Bhubaneswar.
In addition to the two-year RI, the court mandated a penalty of Rs 10,000 for each individual. According to a statement from Special Prosecutor Rashmiranjan Brahma, released by the Odisha Police, failure to pay the fine will result in an additional two months of jail for each convict.
The Bangladesh nationals were found guilty of violating Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946. This legislation serves as a primary tool for addressing unauthorised foreign nationals, overstaying visas, or breaching stay conditions. An official noted that the Act is a critical provision for managing illegal entry and non-compliance with travel regulations in India.
According to the prosecution, the Bangladesh nationals were apprehended at Bhubaneswar railway station on March 8, 2025.
“During interrogation, they gave evasive answers and tried to escape from the clutches of the raiding team. They also failed to produce passport, visa or any other valid travel document,” the statement said.
Later, the Bangladeshis, however, confessed that they had clandestinely come to India without any valid documents through a jungle area in Assam.
Police said after a successful investigation, a charge sheet was submitted on May 5, 2025 against the accused persons.
The convicted Bangladesh nationals have been identified as Md Hasim (46), Sajib Khan (24), Allam Shaika (41), Md Azeem (40), Dilara Sheikh (45), Md Soha Talukdar (36) Karima Begum, (25) Monira Begum (30) and Sahana Begum (45).
