Man booked on charge of sheltering 2 Bangladeshi women

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The MIDC Cidco police have registered an FIR against a 29-year-old hotel owner for allegedly sheltering two Bangladeshi women without valid documents and intentionally failing to inform the police about their presence.In the early hours of Wednesday, a case was booked under sections 45 and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Akash Nana Tribhuvan, a resident of Ambedkarnagar in Cidco. Tribhuvan owns and operates a hotel on Beed Bypass Road near Gandheli Phata in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.According to a complaint lodged by Anti-Terrorism Branch (ATB) inspector Rajesh Mayekar, the action was taken following a tip-off received on Jan 19 regarding suspected Bangladeshi nationals staying at the hotel. Acting on the information, a police team reached the premises at around 7.10 pm and found two women seated there under suspicious circumstances.Preliminary questioning raised doubts about their nationality, following which senior ATB officers and women police personnel were called to the spot. During further inquiry, Tribhuvan allegedly admitted that the women were Bangladeshi nationals and were staying on the premises.The police later traced the women to a tin shed adjacent to the hotel. The women identified themselves as Sharmin Gazi Mofizul Gazi (20) and Poly Sheikh Mohammad Oli Sheikh (20), both residents of Bangladesh. However, a search revealed that neither of them possessed any valid passport, visa, or other documents authorising their stay in India.The complaint states that Tribhuvan knowingly provided shelter to the foreign nationals and failed to inform the police about them, thereby facilitating their illegal residence. It also alleges that he violated prohibitory orders issued under Section 163(1) and (3) of the Bharatiya Suraksha Sanhita, as notified by the police commissioner's office in Dec 2025.Given the absence of documents and the lack of local guardians, the women were shifted to Savitribai Phule govt Women's Shelter Home at Kranti Chowk on Jan 19. They were later brought to the ATB office for further verification. During detailed questioning, both women reiterated that they were Bangladeshi nationals and provided details of their native places and family members.The ATB has initiated the deportation proceedings as per Union home ministry guidelines dated May 2, 2025. The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) and the deputy commissioner of police (crime) Ratnakar Navale were informed, and restriction orders were issued to ensure the women remained in protective custody until deportation.