Dual identity row: Man arrested in Kumarganj for holding 2 voter cards
BALURGHAT: Police have arrested a 45-year-old man, Rajjak Sarkar, for allegedly holding voter identity cards of both India and Bangladesh, triggering a major controversy in the border district. Sarkar, a farmer and resident of Uttarpara under Samajia Gram Panchayat in Kumarganj block in South Dinajpur was produced before the Balurghat court and remanded to two days of police custody. While his Indian identity records list him as Rajjak Sarkar, Bangladeshi documents show him as Md Abdur Razzak.
In a separate case, allegations surfaced against another Bangladeshi national, Mafizur Rahman, who is reportedly living in Safanagar Elendari under false identity papers. Originally from Kamalpur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh, Rahman allegedly forged documents, using a fictitious father’s name to obtain Aadhaar, PAN and other Indian identity documents. His son, Masum Rahman, is also accused of following the same path. Masum was earlier apprehended by the BSF at the Hili border for involvement in illegal activities and pushed back to Bangladesh but reportedly re-entered India soon after.
Reacting to these incidents, BJP’s South Dinajpur district president Swarup Chowdhury alleged: “The ruling Trinamool Congress is helping Bangladeshi nationals illegally enter India and turning them into voters for political gains.”
Countering the allegations, TMC’s district vice-president Subhas Chaki said: “The BJP is resorting to old tactics to malign TMC. Border security is the responsibility of the BSF. If Bangladeshis are crossing over, it reflects on the incompetence of the BSF and the Central government, not the state. As for Rajjak Sarkar and Mafizur Rahman, whether they are Indian or Bangladeshi will be clear only after proper investigation. Moreover, Rajjak’s case is sub judice and the court will decide accordingly.”
Meanwhile, Balurghat police on Monday evening arrested Mohammad Pallab, a Bangladeshi youth from Chingishpur border under suspicious circumstances. Hailing from Naogaon district of Bangladesh, he was produced in court on Tuesday. DSP Headquarters Bikram Prasad said police are probing the exact reason behind his entry into India.
