J&K Police Begins Crackdown On Those Facilitating Shelter, Government Benefits To Rohingyas In Jammu

On Tuesday, seven First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed at various police stations in Jammu against persons allegedly involved in providing shelter and government benefits to Rohingyas.

The FIRs were registered at Satwari, Trikuta Nagar, Bagh-e-Bahu, Channi Himmat, Nowabad, Domana, and Nagrota police stations in Jammu.

This action followed searches conducted at various sites within the Jammu district.

According to the official, the FIRs were registered against people who are accused of providing shelter to foreign immigrants and also helping them avail government benefits.

The searches were carried out at various sites where the Rohingyas are housed, as well as at the homes of those assisting them, all under the supervision of magistrates.

The official reported that during the investigations, they seized unlawfully obtained Indian documents such as PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, and bank documents, along with other incriminating materials.

Just a day before, the Kishtwar police registered a case in response to the recovery of unlawfully acquired documents, such as Adhaar cards, during a crackdown against Rohingyas in the district.

The case was filed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of important documents), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using as genuine a forged document), at the Dachhan police station.

The Rohingyas, a Muslim minority group from Myanmar who speak a Bengali dialect, have fled their homeland. Many of them entered India illegally through Bangladesh and took shelter in Jammu and other parts of the country.

According to government data, over 13,700 foreigners, including Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshi nationals, are settled in Jammu and other districts of Jammu and Kashmir, where their population has increased by over 6,000 between 2008 and 2016.

During a verification drive in Jammu city in March 2021, authorities discovered more than 250 Rohingyas, comprising of women and children, residing unlawfully. Following this, they were placed in a holding facility within Sub-jail Kathua.