A Bangladeshi woman, identified as Shanta Pal, aged 28 and originally hailing from Barisal in Bangladesh, was apprehended by the Anti-Rowdy Squad of Kolkata Police for unlawfully residing in India. Acting on a specific complaint, authorities conducted a detailed investigation that led to her arrest from a rented apartment in the Jadavpur locality. Shanta had reportedly been living there since late 2024 with a male companion.
During a comprehensive search of her residence, the police discovered and seized multiple official documents that raised serious concerns about her identity and the legality of her stay. These included several Bangladeshi passports issued in her name, a staff identity card from Regent Airways in Bangladesh, and an admit card linked to secondary education from Dhaka. In addition to these, two Aadhaar cards with different addresses—one in Kolkata and the other in Burdwan—were found. Authorities also recovered an Indian voter ID card, also known as an EPIC, and a ration card, all registered under separate residential locations.
Following her arrest, Shanta was presented before a city court, which subsequently remanded her into police custody until August 8. During interrogation, she failed to provide coherent or valid explanations for possessing Indian identification documents or for her extended stay in the country. Crucially, she could not produce any legitimate visa or other official permissions authorizing her presence in India.
The Kolkata Police have now initiated correspondence with several government bodies to investigate how such documents were obtained. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has been approached regarding the issuance of the Aadhaar cards. Similarly, the National Election Commission and West Bengal’s Food Department are being contacted to trace the origins and authorization of the voter and ration cards, respectively.
According to confidential sources, Shanta Pal had a notable public presence in Bangladesh before her illegal migration. She had worked as an actress and anchor on various Bangladeshi television channels and was known to have participated in several beauty contests. The motives behind her relocation and her ability to gather multiple Indian identity documents under different names and addresses are now key areas of investigation.
Authorities are probing the possibility of a larger nexus that may involve document forgery and cross-border identity fraud. The police are determined to uncover the full extent of the case and have emphasized that strict action will be taken against anyone found to be involved in facilitating her illegal residency in India.
