Convicted in Bangladesh, 2 men held in Bengaluru for stealing bikes

Two men, who sneaked into India in 2018 after their conviction in Bangladesh, were arrested by the Bengaluru Police Thursday on charges of stealing bikes. While eight bikes were recovered from them, the authorities have begun the process to deport the accused to Bangladesh.
According to an officer of the Kempegowda Nagar police station, “Several cases of bike theft were lodged with us and we were investigating them when the probe led us to the duo — Obimulla alias Bappi, 32, and Mahamad Nasir Shekh, 35. After their arrest, the duo told us they hailed from West Bengal but our investigation showed they are from Bangladesh.”
The officer added, “We shared the duo’s photographs and details with the Bangladesh authorities who in turn confirmed that the two were convicted to five years of imprisonment by a Bangladesh court in a case of assault.”
The police then further questioned the duo following which they revealed that in 2018, they illegally crossed over to India and reached Mumbai. “They found Mumbai costly and later, upon suggestions from their associates, who are suspected to be living in Bengaluru, the duo came to the city and rented a house in Attibele,” the officer said.
The police also found out that Bappi and Shekh worked at a cloth merchant’s shop and possessed fake voter identity cards. The police further found out that the duo was arrested in Bangladesh and later released on bail. When the court convicted them in the case, they managed to sneak into India.
Bappi and Shekh used to steal bikes from parking areas or in front of houses across Bengaluru in the night. After using the two-wheelers for a couple of months using a different registration number, the duo used to sell them to people looking for second hand vehicles, said a police officer.
“We have written letters to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) and the process to deport them from India has begun. The probe has also revealed that there are few Bangladesh nationals who are either facing trials or have been convicted in Bangladesh but have illegally entered India to avoid being jailed,” the officer said.