Suspicion over illegal migrants triggers bus check in Mandya

Mandya: A KSRTC bus travelling from Bengaluru to Madikeri was stopped at the Mandya bus stand on the night of Monday, August 10, after Hindu activists raised suspicion that some passengers could be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

The bus was carrying around 30 passengers when members of a local Hindu organisation intercepted it and demanded verification of their identities and documents. The activists claimed that some of the passengers appeared to be Bangladeshi nationals who were allegedly residing in Karnataka without valid documents.

Police and revenue officials, including the Mandya tahsildar, reached the bus stand after being alerted about the incident. The authorities checked the identity cards and other documents produced by the passengers.

Preliminary verification indicated that the passengers were workers from Assam who were travelling to Kodagu to work in coffee plantations. Officials, however, decided to conduct a more detailed verification after some of the identity cards produced by the passengers reportedly failed to scan properly.

As a precautionary measure, all 30 passengers were taken to a relief centre. Officials said their documents and backgrounds would be examined in detail before allowing them to proceed.

Police and revenue officials are expected to verify the passengers‘ identities, permanent addresses and other supporting documents. Authorities are also checking whether any of them have valid records establishing their citizenship and employment details.

Officials said the decision to move the passengers to the relief centre was taken as a precautionary measure and that no conclusion had been reached regarding their nationality or legal status.

The incident created tension at the Mandya bus stand for some time, as activists insisted on a thorough verification of the passengers. Police intervened to prevent the situation from escalating and maintained security at the bus stand.

Officials said a detailed verification would be conducted under the supervision of senior police personnel and the tahsildar. Further action will depend on the outcome of the document and background checks.