Bangladeshi Model Arrested in Kolkata for Forged Indian Documents, Illegal Stay.
A Bangladeshi national identified as Shanta Pal (28), a former model and television anchor, was arrested in Kolkata for illegally residing in India and possessing multiple forged Indian identity documents. She was apprehended by the Anti-Rowdy Squad of the Kolkata Police from a rented apartment in the Jadavpur area.
According to Rupesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner (Crime), “Based on a specific complaint, we registered a case and during the investigation, we arrested a woman who is a Bangladeshi citizen. She is in police custody, and the investigation is ongoing.”
During a search of her residence, police recovered several official documents, including:
Two Aadhaar cards with different addresses (Kolkata and Burdwan)
An Indian voter ID
A ration card
Bangladeshi passports issued in her name
A secondary school admit card from Dhaka
An employee ID card from Regent Airways (Bangladesh)
Police said she had rented the apartment in late 2024 with a man, whose identity is yet to be disclosed.
During interrogation, Pal failed to produce a valid visa or provide satisfactory answers regarding her stay in India. She was subsequently arrested and produced before a city court on Wednesday, which remanded her to police custody until August 8.
Authorities are now investigating how she managed to obtain Indian identity documents. The Kolkata Police have contacted the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Election Commission, and the West Bengal Food Department to verify how she secured Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards, respectively.
Sources claim that Pal worked in the Bangladeshi entertainment industry as a model, anchor, and beauty pageant contestant before entering India.
The case has raised fresh concerns over identity fraud and document misuse by foreign nationals residing in the country without legal authorization.
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