Four Pakistani nationals, who disguised their identities and used Hindu names in fake Indian passports and forged Aadhaar cards, have been arrested from the outskirts of Karnataka’s Bengaluru where they were living for about a decade.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the family – a man, his wife and her parents – had been living in Rajapura village using ‘Sharma’ as their surname.
Police have identified them as Rashid Ali Siddiqui (48), his wife Ayesha (38) and her parents Hanif Mohammed (73) and Rubina (61). They were using aliases Shankar Sharma, Asha Rani, Ram Babu Sharma and Rani Sharma.
How were they arrested?
As per IE report, based on intelligence inputs, the police arrested two Pakistani nationals from Chennai International Airport. The duo were apprehended by immigration officials when they landed from Bangladesh and were carrying fake passports. During the investigation, it was revealed that they were related to Siddiqui.
On Sunday (September 29), a team of police arrived at Siddiqui’s house in Jigani just at the time he and his family were speeding up with packing their belongings and leaving the place.
The police team then questioned Siddiqui, who identified as Shankar Sharma and said he had been staying in Bengaluru since 2018. He even produced the family’s fake passports and Aadhaar cards which mentioned their Hindu names.
The cops then barged into the house and saw ‘MEHDI FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL JASHAN-E-YOUNUS’ written on the wall. There were also photos of Islamic clerics.
On further grilling, Siddiqui confessed they were Pakistani nationals and that he belonged to Karachi’s Liaquatabad, while his wife and her parents were from Lahore.
During the preliminary investigation, it was also revealed that Siddiqui ran an online food outlet and even supplied engine oil to garages.
Siddiqui, during the probe, confessed that he married Ayesha in 2011 in an online ceremony when she was in Bangladesh with her parents. He also said that he fled from Pakistan to Bangladesh after religious leaders in his country were persecuted.
In Bangladesh, Siddiqui served as a preacher and his expenses were covered by the Mehdi Foundation, the FIR stated.
When did Siddiqui shift to India?
Things were fine with Siddiqui till 2014 when he again came under attack in Bangladesh. He then contacted a man named Parvez from the Mehdi Foundation in India and moved to India illegally.
Siddiqui, his wife and her parents and a couple of his relatives entered India from Bangladesh via Malda in West Bengal with the help of agents.
Initially, they stayed in Delhi and managed to get fake Aadhaar cards, passports and driving licenses under their disguised identity as the ‘Sharma’ family. In the capital, Siddiqui continued preaching on behalf of the Mehdi Foundation.
How did Siddiqui & his family come to Bengaluru?
In 2018, Siddiqui visited Nepal where he met Wasim and Altaf, both residents of Bengaluru, after which he decided to relocate to Bengaluru when they asked him to preach in the city.
In Bengaluru, Altaf used to pay rent for the accommodation where Siddiqui lived with his family, while the Mehdi Foundation paid him for his shows on Alra TV where he preached Islam.
Siddiqui’s in-laws had also opened bank accounts in Bengaluru with their forged documents.
Forgery & cheating charges slapped
A case has been registered against Siddiqui and his family under sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under sections of Passport Act.
What is Mehdi Foundation?
The Mehdi Foundation, which is also known as Messiah Foundation, was started in the 1970s in Pakistan.
It was initially called Riaz Gohar Shahi International after its founder and a Pakistani spiritual leader – Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi. However, in 2002, it was formally named as MFI.
The organisation promotes the teachings of Younus AlGohar, a spiritual teacher advocating for Sufism, religious harmony, interfaith peace, and humanity beyond religion.
The organisation also works to de-radicalize Muslim youth by promoting Sufism. However, its members have faced religious persecution in various Muslim countries, including Pakistan.
Alra TV, associated with the foundation, is a YouTube channel that promotes Sufi teachings.
With inputs from agencies.
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4 Pakistanis became ‘Sharma’, forged documents to stay in Bengaluru for 10 years
