JAMMU: According to police, seven FIRs have been filed at various police stations in this city against individuals who are allegedly involved in giving Rohingyas shelter and government benefits. This was announced on Tuesday. A police spokesperson stated that after searches at various locations in the Jammu district, the police stations Satwari, Trikuta Nagar, Bagh-e-Bahu, Channi Himmat, Nowabad, Domana, and Nagrota received the filed complaints. According to the official, formal complaints have been filed against individuals who are alleged to have given refuge to foreign nationals and assisted them in obtaining government assistance. According to the spokesperson, searches were carried out in front of magistrates at the facilitators’ homes as well as at various locations where the Rohingyas are housed. The official claimed that during searches, unlawfully obtained Indian documents were found, including bank records, PAN cards, and Adhaar cards, among other pieces of evidence. “An investigation has begun, and more information will be released later. All such defaulters will face severe consequences in the future, the spokesperson declared. Following the discovery of unlawfully obtained documents, such as Adhaar cards, during a crackdown against Rohingyas in the district, police in the Kishtwar district filed a case the previous day. At police station Dachhan, the case was filed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 467 (forgery of important documents), 468 (forgery with the intent to deceive), 471 (using a forged document as genuine), and 420 (cheating). The Rohingyas are a Muslim minority from Myanmar who speak Bengali dialect. Many Rohingyas fled persecution in their home country and sought safety in Jammu and other parts of India by entering the nation illegally through Bangladesh. Government data indicates that over 13,700 foreigners, comprising of Rohingya Muslims and citizens of Bangladesh, have made their home in Jammu and other districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Between 2008 and 2016, the number of foreigners in these areas increased by more than 6,000. During a verification drive earlier in March 2021, police discovered over 250 Rohingyas—including women and children—living illegally in Jammu city. They were then placed in a holding centre inside Sub-jail Kathua.
