Lucknow, June 13 (IANS) In a major success for the security agencies, the UP police and Anti-terrorism squad (ATS) arrested a Bangladeshi national with a Rs 25,000 bounty on his head from Saharanpur on Saturday.

The suspect had been absconding for the past 17 years, since 2009 and was nabbed in a joint operation, after evading law enforcement agencies. Authorities recovered a Bangladeshi identity card, a forged Aadhaar card, and some other suspicious documents from his possession.

City SP Vyom Bindal, briefing the media, said that the case was registered at Kutubsher police station under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act in 2009. The investigation revealed that six Bangladeshi nationals had entered India without valid passports or other necessary documents.

Out of six, three were sentenced to jail terms by the court, while Zahid alias Dallu absconded after being granted bail.

He refused to appear before the police or before the court despite a summons, following which a non-bailable warrant was issued against him. After he was declared an absconder and failed to turn up, a reward of ₹25,000 was announced for his arrest.

The accused came under police scanner during a special campaign by the Saharanpur police to nab wanted criminals.

The police team received a tip-off about a suspicious person with a dubious identity. A joint team of the police and ATS reached the spot and arrested the accused.

During Interrogation, his identity was revealed as Zahid. He was currently residing in the Dera Bassi area of Mohali (Punjab), while his permanent address was listed as Lefkasari Police Station, Bandarban District (Bangladesh).

During the arrest, the police recovered a Bangladeshi identity card and a Vivo mobile phone from his possession.

A search of the mobile phone revealed a fake Aadhaar card and other suspicious documents.

Based on these documents, a new case has been registered against the accused at the Chilkana Police Station under Sections 318(4), 336(3), and 340(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

The police discovered that the accused had been constantly changing location since 2009, living in various states and concealing his identity to evade arrest. His wife is reportedly a resident of Nepal.

The police and ATS are now investigating the accused’s contacts, his network, and any other potential accomplices hiding within the country.

–IANS

mr/dan