A newly built Beggars’ Home in Surat, a nearly 300-year-old haveli that houses the Crime Branch in Ahmedabad, and police stations in other cities: These are some of the places where the suspects rounded up by the Gujarat Police following the crackdown on alleged illegal Bangladeshis, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, were kept until some of them were cleared after verification. Many, however, continue staying on these premises as police conduct background checks.
Inside the sprawling compound of the Gujarat government-run Beggars’ Home in Ramnagar area of Surat, police vehicles are parked as personnel mill about. A row of scooters and bikes are neatly parked on the driveway as a group of anxious women are seated on the lawns under the trees.
This building, constructed to house beggars from the city, is where 134 people, picked up by the Surat Police on suspicion of being Bangladeshis, have been kept and are being interrogated by officials of the Central and the West Bengal state intelligence units. Initially housed at police headquarters, the suspects were shifted to this Beggars’ Home on Monday.
With a compound wall over 10 feet in height, the premises cover a huge area accommodating two sprawling gardens divided by a walkway to reach the two main buildings, which can shelter up to 200 persons.
On Tuesday, police teams were seen deployed at the large entry gate to prevent anyone from entering or leaving the premises.
So far, over 80 people have been confirmed as Bangladeshi nationals, officers said.
Visible through the gates was a group of suspects, segregated by gender, sitting in two sections of the lawn, guarded by male and female police officers, some of whom were seen recording their statements.
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When asked about the 80 people who have been confirmed to be illegal immigrants, a police official dealing with the matter, who did not wish to be named, told The Indian Express, “They have been residing in Surat for the last 10 years, engaged in various jobs, including working in the jewellery unit, on new construction sites for plumbing, fitting floor tiles, electrical work, and working at massage parlours, among others. The number may increase in the coming days as some of the claims made by suspected Bangladeshis are yet to be cross-verified.”
Police sources said that some of the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh had also purchased homes and vehicles. Besides, they had obtained Aadhar cards and other relevant documents, including bank accounts, with the help of forged documents, they alleged.
Talking to The Indian Express, Social Security officer in Surat, Jignesh Chaudhary, said, “The Beggars’ Home was inaugurated last year, and it is quite big with two buildings. Male and female sections are separate. We have a big conference hall, activity hall, dining hall with kitchen, and an entertainment hall, etc. A total of 200 people can stay in separate rooms for males and females. Apart from this, as the area is large, many more can be accommodated. Presently, there are 30 beggars staying inside, with 10 administrative and other staffers, including security guards, stationed on the premises.”
Ramnagar is where many of the Sindhis, who chose to stay in India after the partition, made their home. Back then, the mohallas here were named after Hindustan, Pakistan, and Kashmir, say locals.
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Apart from the Beggars’ Home, some of those who were confirmed to be Bangladeshi immigrants were kept in the police headquarters at Ghaludi in Kamrej, while the women detainees were housed in Nari Gruh in the same area.
Gaekwad Haveli, Ahmedabad
As many as 890 people, including 214 children and 219 women, were first rounded up at the Kankaria football ground and then taken on foot to the headquarters of the Crime Branch at Gaekwad Haveli, four kms away in Jamalpur. Till Tuesday, 150 of them had been confirmed as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, as per a state government release.
Gaekwad Haveli, built in 1738 when the Marathas ruled Ahmedabad in conjunction with the Mughal empire, is one of the first in the old, walled city. In the 20th century, it became the headquarters of the Crime Branch of Ahmedabad City police and the protected structure was restored in 2014. It has a vast area and houses not only the Crime Branch headquarters, but also the offices of the Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the city police. There is also a large open area, used to park seized vehicles. Besides, there are sporting facilities such as a football ground where the detainees were first kept. They were later moved to the premises of the Crime Branch, SOG and EOW. Later on, those confirmed as illegal immigrants were moved to the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in Ahmedabad.
The JIC, second of its kind in Gujarat after the one in Kutch, is meant to house illegal immigrants and other foreign nationals before their deportation to their home countries. It was inaugurated on October 3, 2024, and has 16 barracks for men. With a capacity of four men for a barrack, 64 male detainees can be housed here.
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There are two barracks for women that can accommodate six each, bringing the capacity to 12 female detainees.
While about 1,000 people are under investigation in Rajkot city, police officers said that all have not been detained but were being questioned on a case-by-case basis. Thirteen people, who had been confirmed as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, were temporarily detained at the police station-level.
In Vadodara, only 14 people were detained and six police stations in the city were notified as temporary detention centres while investigations are on.
On Monday, Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) Vikas Sahay said that of the 6,500 suspects being interrogated across the state, 450 had been confirmed as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
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(With inputs from Brendan Dabhi in Ahmedabad and Aditi Raja in Vadodara)