Widespread checks cover 91 sites; teams probe documents, workplaces and landlords
BENGALURU: A large-scale police operation targeting suspected illegal immigrants in parts of east and south‑east Bengaluru resulted in the detention of 105 Bangladeshi nationals and verification of identity documents of almost 3,000 people, officials said on Saturday.
The drive, conducted under the banner Operation Mukta, covered 91 locations in Whitefield and Electronics City. It began on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday and continued through Saturday, police said.
M Narayana, DCP (Electronics City), said officers were examining the identity documents of those detained. Several detainees were found to be in possession of Aadhaar cards, and the police said separate cases will be registered to probe how and when those cards were issued and who was responsible.
Police said verification must be handled with care because some Indian citizens from West Bengal and Assam were also among those questioned.
Police commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said the special drive concentrated on areas where the force had received credible intelligence about migrant presence. He noted that around 300 illegal Bangladeshi migrants had been deported from Bengaluru about three months ago and that raids have continued since then. Of the 105 detained in the current operation, 62 were held in Whitefield and 43 in Electronics City.
Teams, personnel and sectors under scrutiny
The operation involved 60 police teams and more than 600 personnel, including women officers, officials said. Police said they are examining employment and accommodation networks of the people detained.
- Many detainees were reportedly employed in waste management activities such as garbage collection and rag‑picking.
- Others worked as food‑delivery agents and in gig economy roles.
- Most were living in makeshift sheds, typically rented for ₹2,000–₹3,000 a month and shared by five to six occupants.
Authorities are looking into the role of landlords who provided such accommodation and are also probing the networks that supplied employment. Police emphasised that the operation included verification and investigative steps rather than summary action, and that checks must be undertaken with discretion to avoid infringing on rights of Indian citizens.
Context and legal sensitivities
The raid follows a Karnataka High Court observation in a separate matter concerning police action against a doctor who had reported a suspected illegal Bangladeshi migrant; the court had stayed the case against the doctor, the police said. Officials framed the latest drive as part of ongoing enforcement and intelligence‑led checks in specific localities.
Investigations now include scrutiny of how identity documents were obtained and the employment and accommodation links of those detained. Police said several records remain under verification.
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Locations raided | 91 |
| People whose IDs were checked | Nearly 3,000 |
| Bangladeshi nationals detained | 105 |
| Police teams and personnel | 60 teams; 600+ personnel |
Officials said the raids will continue in targeted pockets of the city. Residents have been asked to share information with the police about suspected illegal migrants and related activities, according to the statement from the commissioner.
The operation brings into focus persistent challenges in Bengaluru: low‑wage migrant labour in informal sectors, overcrowded and poor rental accommodation, and the administrative task of verifying identity documents in a fast‑growing metropolis that attracts domestic and international migrants alike. Police now face the task of establishing legal status of detainees, tracing document issuance, and deciding on further action in accordance with law.
