KOLKATA: The Anti-Rowdy Squad (ARS) of the Kolkata Police have arrested a youth from Naihati in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on charges of facilitating fake Indian identity documents for Santa Paul, the recently arrested Bangladeshi model.
The person arrested has been identified as Soumik Dutta (36), son of the Late Subinay Chandra Dutta and a resident of North 24 Parganas district. He was arrested at his residence only.
"A youth has been arrested for helping to arrange illegal documents, including fake Indian identity documents, for the Bangladeshi model who was arrested last week. We are investigating his role in helping her stay in the country with illegal documents. More details will be shared later, " said an official of the state police on Tuesday.
On July 28, the officers from Park Street police station arrested Santa Paul from a flat in Kolkata's Golf Green area in South Kolkata. The police became suspicious after reviewing the documents she had provided during her passport application. During the arrest, several Bangladeshi documents were recovered from Santa's Golf Green apartment.
It is learnt that Paul, a model by profession, entered India with a valid visa. However, instead of returning before the expiry of her visa, she managed to arrange fake Indian documents like the Aadhaar card and the Voters’ ID card for herself during that interim period.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has already informed the Kolkata Police that Paul's visa expired in 2021, and thereafter, she has been living in the country illegally since then.