Latest news with #SmitParmar
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- New Indian Express
448 detained as Odisha government starts action against Bangladeshis, Rohingyas
JHARSUGUDA/BHUBANESWAR: As part of the massive statewide crackdown against illegal immigrants, Odisha Police has identified 448 suspected Bangladeshis and Rohingyas since Monday night and shifted them to the holding centres for verification. Jharsuguda police rounded up as many as 444 people suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas, while in Jagatsinghpur, four persons were detained. They had allegedly arrived in Paradip a fortnight back. Police sources said, of the 444 detained in Jharsuguda, many had been living for a long time and were even employed in different industries, mines and also engaged as masons and house painters in the district. Briefing mediapersons on Monday, Northern Range IG Himansu Kumar Lal said, 'The document verification of the 444 people shifted to the holding centres is continuing. Further action will be initiated accordingly.' Jharsuguda SP Smit Parmar said, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directions, a Special Task Force (STF) has been constituted for identifying foreign nationals living illegally in the state. 'A drive was launched by the STF within different police limits in the district during which 444 people were identified and shifted to two holding centres for verification,' he said.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- New Indian Express
Over 400 suspected Bangladeshi, Rohingya immigrants moved to holding centres in Odisha's Jharsuguda
JHARSUGUDA/BHUBANESWAR: Jharsuguda police which launched a massive crackdown on illegal settlers staying in the district have identified 444 suspected Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants since Monday night and shifted them to the holding centres for verification. 'The document verification of the 444 people shifted to the holding centres is continuing. Further action will be initiated accordingly,' said IG, Northern Range, Himansu Kumar Lal. Sources said out of the 444 people, many are men employed in different industries, mines and also engaged as masons and house painters. Jharsuguda SP Smit Parmar said, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order, a Special Task Force (STF) was constituted for this purpose. 'As per the STF's instruction, a drive was launched within different police limits in the district during which 444 individuals were shifted to two holding centres for verification." To facilitate the verification process, holding centres have been set up at Black Diamond College of Engineering and Technology in Jharsuguda sub-division and another at Surabhi Kalyan Mandap in Brajrajnagar sub-division. The documents of these individuals are being thoroughly examined to ascertain their nationality, he added.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
444 people sent to holding centres in Odisha as officials verify citizenship documents
The Jharsuguda police in Odisha have detained 444 persons for verification on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas illegally residing in India. Citing an order by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police Smit Parmar said the special task force (STF) has put the suspects in two holding centres in different towns. 'We are verifying their proof of Indian citizenship and other details like how they came to Odisha,' he said. Police sources said the people are engaged in construction activities, mining and various industrial units. Officials said that following guidelines issued by the MHA, instructions were issued to all districts to constitute STFs headed by superintendents of police. The STFs would also be assigned a foreigners registration officer (FRO) to identify and deport illegal immigrants. The district authorities have been asked to detect, identify and deport those who are unable to show proof of citizenship. The FROs have also been asked to identify holding centres in each district to put the suspects during verification, while the state government has also identified an old jail in Athagarh as a state holding centre. For the BJP, which came to power in Odisha in 2024, the identification of illegal immigrants is a key focus. As Odisha has a coastline of over 480 kilometres, officials say illegal immigrants come from the sea route and settle in coastal districts such as Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Balasore. Last month, during his visit to Kendrapada, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi asked the district administration to take strict legal action against Bangladeshi nationals staying illegally without valid documents. He asked the police to work with central agencies to deal with the issue, calling the move a necessary step towards national security. According to a reply to a question in the Assembly in March this year, Odisha has 3,740 undocumented migrants from Bangladesh. Officials, however, estimate that the actual figure is much higher.
