Jajpur/Jagatsinghpur: In a major breakthrough, Jagatsinghpur Police on Saturday arrested the key accused behind the illegal stay and settlement of Bangladeshi nationals in the district. The accused, Sikandar Alam alias Siko, had been evading arrest for seven days before being tracked down and arrested from Jajpur.
Police sources said a special team had been formed to nab Sikandar after raids at Beherampur Basti exposed an organised network facilitating illegal entry, accommodation, and religious schooling of Bangladeshi infiltrators.
Sikandar, who earlier worked in the Merchant Navy, allegedly constructed houses on government land in Beherampur and sheltered Bangladeshi nationals. He was also running a madrasa in these illegal structures, bringing children from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to teach them there. Investigators suspect the madrasa was funded with money routed from at least five foreign countries.
After the raid last week, Sikandar fled from location to location—first Krishnanandapur, then Tendakuda, Kendrapara, and eventually Jajpur. Although he was using two mobile phones, he kept only one switched on to avoid surveillance. When he powered on the second device, police were able to trace the signal and close in on him. His passport and several important documents were seized during the arrest. He is currently being interrogated at an undisclosed location. Earlier, his younger brother was arrested from Khordha.
Meanwhile, police conducted fresh raids in Beherampur today and detained two individuals—believed to be Sikandar’s son and a close associate. A laptop was also seized.
Earlier this week, authorities demolished the illegal madrasa in Beherampur Basti along with 10 unauthorised structures, in the presence of the magistrate and sub-collector. In Satpura Dhanipur, seven more illegal constructions linked to suspected Bangladeshi infiltrators were bulldozed.
Police are now investigating the routes used by Bangladeshi infiltrators to enter Jagatsinghpur—whether through sea or land corridors. The district police have also intensified their probe into the procurement of fake Aadhaar cards, with the SP stating that teams may soon travel outside Odisha to trace whether the forged documents originated in West Bengal or within the state.
