The Bhopal Police have arrested a Bangladeshi national, Abdul Kalam, who had been living illegally in India under the identity of a transgender woman named “Neha” for over two decades. He was apprehended late Monday night in Bhopal’s Mangalwara locality during a state-wide crackdown on illegal migrants.
According to reports, Abdul Kalam, believed to be around 30-32 years old, entered India at the age of 10. He spent nearly 20 years in Mumbai before shifting to Bhopal a decade ago, where he adopted the identity of “Neha Kinnar” — a transgender woman widely known in the local community.
Who is Abdul Kalam?
Abdul Kalam had maintained his false identity for years, reportedly to evade detection by authorities. According to sources, he forged multiple documents, including an Aadhaar card, voter ID, and even a passport, under the name Neha Kinnar to establish himself as an Indian citizen. This fake identity allowed him to reside in India undetected for a long period and even make visits to Bangladesh using the forged passport.
Police traced Abdul following specific intelligence inputs provided by a special unit tasked with monitoring illegal foreign nationals. Officials confirmed he had lived in several Indian states, including West Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, over the years. A senior police officer stated that Abdul is currently under 30-day detention while formal deportation procedures are being initiated.
Gender Verification Test in the Pipeline
The Bhopal Police are preparing to conduct a gender verification test to determine whether Abdul is biologically transgender or adopted the transgender identity solely as a disguise. “We received credible information from a confidential informant, which led to his arrest,” said Shalini Dixit, a senior police official. She added that Abdul had returned to Bangladesh multiple times using forged Indian documents.
Authorities are now working with central agencies to complete the investigation and confirm the origin of the forged documents. Once the probe is completed, deportation proceedings to Bangladesh are expected to begin within days.