Bangladeshi national living as monk in India arrested in Bihar

Patna: A Bangladeshi citizen, identified as Babu Joe Barua alias Rajiv Dutta, was arrested at the Gaya Airport in Bihar, an official said.

Barua has been living in India illegally for the past eight years, posing as a Buddhist monk and residing in a monastery in Gaya.

He was detained by airport security while attempting to board a flight to Thailand on Friday. Upon investigation, authorities found that he was living without a valid passport or visa and had been using fake documents. A lookout circular had also been issued against him earlier. He was handed over to the Magadh Medical Police Station Gaya for further action.

“A Bangladeshi national was living in Bihar’s Gaya district for eight years without a visa or passport. He was trying to escape to Thailand from Gaya International Airport. The documents recovered from him are fake. He has been arrested from Gaya Airport,” said Ashish Bharti, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Gaya.

The Bangladeshi citizen was attempting to travel to Thailand on an Indian passport (X 7037848) aboard flight TG 327.

His suspicious behaviour during an inspection by the Aviation Security Group led to further interrogation, during which he revealed that he had been living in Gaya as a Buddhist monk for the past eight years and is, in fact, a Bangladeshi citizen.

Upon his arrest, authorities found multiple passports with different names, as well as a variety of documents, including an Aadhaar card and a PAN card. Additionally, foreign currencies, including 1560 Thai Baht, 5 Euros, 411 US dollars, and Rs 3,800 in Indian currency, were recovered from him. The investigation has uncovered that he had been using passports under false identities.

The accused has been charged under sections 318(4), 336(3), and 340(2) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sahita (BNS) and the Indian Passport Act 12 at the Magadh Medical Police Station, where further investigation is ongoing.