Alleged Bangladeshi criminal in monk’s disguise held in West Bengal

An alleged Bangladeshi criminal, who had been hiding in West Bengal under the disguise of a monk, was arrested by police in Nadia district on Saturday night, officials said.

Mohammed Hashem Mallik, 60, also known as Hashem Ali Mallik, was wanted in several criminal cases in Bangladesh. Acting on a tip-off, officers from the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF), along with local police, conducted a raid in the Tehatta area and apprehended him.

According to a police officer, Mallik had created a fake Indian identity and was residing in Baliura Purba Para in Tehatta. He was unable to produce valid documents to prove Indian citizenship during the arrest.

“Mallik was involved in heinous crimes in Bangladesh and had crossed the border to evade legal proceedings there. He confessed to forging Indian identity documents,” the officer added.

The arrest follows a complaint lodged by Sub-Inspector Mohammed Abdun Noor Chowdhury of the West Bengal STF, who initiated the investigation.

The accused is currently in police custody as further investigations continue.