Bengaluru: The special police drive to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants has triggered allegations of illegal detention, assault and inhuman treatment of migrant workers. A complaint emailed to the state home minister and senior police officers by All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ) in this regard, was endorsed by People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Domestic Workers Rights (DWRU) Union and All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU).They sought an independent inquiry, FIRs, departmental action, preservation of CCTV and official records, compensation, and an end to verification drives except in accordance with the Constitution, BNSS and Supreme Court guidelines.Police, however, denied the allegations, saying due procedures were followed. Police said 105 illegal immigrants were identified Saturday.The complaint alleged that police teams entered slum settlements at 6.30am on Aug 8, demanded documents and, despite some residents producing identification, took them to stations, convention centres, marriage halls and other places.The complaint alleged Varthur police detained 41 people, including women, and assaulted at least six with lathis. The alleged victims included a 60-year-old man, an already injured person and a 30-year-old man who suffered serious injuries.It said Bandepalya police detained over 200 people and Hebbagodi police around 150, while doors and CCTV cameras were damaged and over 50 phones confiscated. Parappana Agrahara police allegedly detained over 400 people from Kudlu, Rayasandra, Shanthipura and Choodasandra. Other alleged detentions included 75 at Somasundrapalya, 40 at HAL, four at Whitefield, 15 at Mahadevapura and 30 at Marathahalli.The groups alleged police seized phones and examined private messages and call logs, with some sent to the foreigners regional registration office (FRRO) merely because their phones contained international numbers. They also alleged the detainees were denied lawyers and some remained in custody.Police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, however, said: “The drive and action were taken following due procedures of the law, and no violations were made. If any such allegations are made, we’ll conduct an inquiry and take necessary action.”A senior officer supervising the drive said: “We made video recordings during the drive; no one was assaulted. We detained a few suspects for verification and released those who were found not to be illegal immigrants.”Another officer said investigations were continuing and documents of detainees were being verified and submitted to FRRO. “Illegal immigrants confessed that they entered India from West Bengal and Assam,” the officer said.
