The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has detained 61 foreign nationals in a coordinated operation across different parts of the city ahead of Diwali, citing efforts to strengthen security and maintain law and order during the festival period. The Crime Branch said most of those detained were Bangladeshi nationals.
According to Nav Gujarat Samay, the operation was conducted simultaneously at identified locations in multiple city zones after the Crime Branch gathered intelligence on foreign nationals allegedly living in Ahmedabad without authorised documentation. The reported action focused on identifying and verifying people suspected of residing in the city unlawfully.
The operation comes as police agencies carry out advance security planning before the festive period, when major cities typically experience increased movement, crowded public spaces and heightened demands on law-and-order machinery. The Crime Branch said the drive was part of its wider effort to prevent unauthorised settlement and strengthen checks on foreign nationals living in the city.
The report does not provide a zone-wise breakdown of the detentions, the identities of those held, the specific legal provisions invoked or details of any court proceedings. It also does not state how many of the 61 people were found to have entered India unlawfully, as opposed to allegedly lacking valid documents for continued residence. Those distinctions will depend on the verification and legal process now under way.
The Crime Branch said legal action had been initiated against the detained individuals and that a deportation process had also begun. Deportation would require verification of identity and nationality, coordination with the relevant authorities and completion of the applicable legal procedures. The source report does not specify a timeline for removal or whether any of the detainees have already been transferred to a designated facility.
The operation has also turned investigators’ attention towards people suspected of facilitating unauthorised residence. The Crime Branch said it was examining the role of alleged shelter providers and intermediaries who may have helped foreign nationals obtain accommodation and employment in Ahmedabad. It further said that some intermediaries were suspected of assisting with documents such as Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, voter identity cards and passports.
The report refers to Chandola as an earlier concentration point for Bangladeshi migrants, while stating that suspected unauthorised residents are now believed to be living in different parts of the city. It does not provide independent data on the number of such residents, the locations involved or the number of document-related cases registered.
The Crime Branch said checks would be tightened and that similar action would continue beyond the festival period. The next steps will involve verification of the detainees’ identities and nationality, investigation into alleged document facilitation and the legal process connected with any deportation orders.
