Chhattisgarh releases 19 Indian citizens detained on suspicion of being Bangladeshi

Chhattisgarh Police have released 19 migrant workers who were detained in the Bilaspur district on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. The individuals, who originated from the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, were held for approximately 15 days at a holding facility in Raipur after being picked up by a Special Task Force on September 4.

Authorities confirmed the release of the 19 individuals after a verification process involving voter lists, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and local administration records established their Indian citizenship. However, four other workers remain in custody as police continue to cross-verify their permanent addresses and records, noting that some names had been removed from voter lists during previous revision exercises.

The detentions drew criticism from the Chhattisgarh unit of the People's Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL), which alleged that the workers were held on flimsy pretexts without being given adequate opportunity to substantiate their credentials. Families of the detainees expressed concern over the initial suspicion based on regional dialects and identity, as well as the continued detention of the remaining four individuals.