Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi dropped a bombshell in the Odisha Legislative Assembly: state authorities have detected 77 Bangladeshi citizens overstaying illegally. The disclosure came Monday while answering BJP MLA Padma Lochan Panda’s pointed query.
Guided strictly by Ministry of Home Affairs protocols, the statewide sweep targeted undocumented migrants. MHA’s directive of May 2, 2025, galvanized district SPs to intensify identification efforts.
Verification teams examined credentials of 2,261 suspects province-wide. Impressively, 2,184 emerged as verified Indians and were let go. The 77 illegals hailed predominantly from Bhubaneswar Urban Police District (26), Cuttack UPD (14), Jagatsinghpur (21), with smaller clusters elsewhere.
Action was prompt and firm—73 deportations to Bangladesh completed. Two standout cases involved bogus passports obtained via counterfeit papers; legal actions initiated with court appearances. Bhubaneswar’s last two await final deportation formalities.
Majhi assured the house of accelerated drives against unlawful aliens, arming police with mandates to probe bank records, telecom data, and cyber traces for conclusive nationality proof. Odisha’s robust response signals a broader push for immigration integrity, reassuring citizens amid infiltration fears.