West Bengal News: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation into the network of illegal infiltration and fake identities in West Bengal has made big and worrying revelations. ED has filed a supplementary charge sheet in the case of providing Indian identity to illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The emergence of the name of a Pakistani citizen in this makes this case more sensitive. In this context, questions are being raised whether Bengal is becoming a safe haven for illegal immigrants and international networks.
What is the whole matter?
ED Kolkata Zone has filed the first supplementary charge sheet against Ajad Malik and his associates. This charge sheet was filed in the special ED court in Kolkata on 11 December. The court has also issued notice to the accused. ED had started this investigation on the basis of the FIR registered against Ajad Malik by West Bengal Police. Investigation revealed that Azad Malik is actually Pakistani citizen Azad Hussain, who was living in India through a fake identity.
Who is Ajad Malik and what was his role?
According to ED investigation, Azad Hussain carried out illegal activities while living in India under the fake identity of Azad Malik. With the help of Indubhushan Halder Dulla, he got Indian identity documents prepared for illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. In this entire game, sensitive documents like Aadhar Card, PAN Card and Indian Passport were made on the basis of fake information. An amount of approximately ₹ 50,000 was collected from each person.
How was the network of fake identities created?
Investigation revealed that Azad Malik and Indubhushan Halder together referred passport applications on a large scale.
- About 300 to 400 passport applications were sent through him.
- In many cases, ITR and tax receipts were found to be identical.
- These documents did not even have the necessary seal of the Income Tax Department.
In some cases, serious discrepancies related to the date of birth were found, which clearly point towards forgery.
Hawala and cross-border money game
ED investigation also revealed that Ajad Malik ran a hawala network for illegal money remittance between India and Bangladesh. Money was raised in India through cash and UPI and then the money was transferred to Bangladesh through platforms like bKash. This aspect does not limit the case to just fake documents, but also connects it to economic crimes and national security.
Questionable role of forex company
ED has arrested M/s Goldenize Forex and Travels Pvt. Ltd. Questions have also been raised on the role of The investigation found that despite getting a license from RBI, the company and its directors violated the rules. Pakistani national Azad Malik was allowed to operate a forex counter without valid documents and sell foreign currency in exchange for commission.
Why is this matter serious?
This case is sensitive because of the involvement of a Pakistani citizen. Aspects like giving Indian identity to Bangladeshi infiltrators, hawala and forex networks, large-scale passport forgery have come to light. The ED charge sheet has made it clear that this is not just a case of fake documents, but points towards an organized international network. The investigation will now determine how deep the roots of this network are and who else is involved in it.
