Bengaluru Police arrested man for reporting Bangladeshi illegal immigrants, Karnataka HC stays probe: Details

On Tuesday (28th July), the Karnataka High Court rebuked the Bengaluru Police over filing two criminal cases against a doctor-activist, Nagendra, who flagged the presence of two illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Bengaluru. The court asked the police to stop this practice of appeasement. Justice M Nagaprasanna ordered a stay on further investigation in the two criminal cases filed against Dr Nagendra.  “Ask them to control this (illegal immigration), leave other talks. What is the (Home) Department doing? Busy with other speeches?” Justice Nagaprasanna remarked.  The court opined that police’s inaction against illegal immigrants can cause severe national security consequences.  “If the police act against the security of the nation, if police act like this in support of illegal immigrants of Bangladesh against the people of this city… it is dangerous to the system. The security of the nation is under threat. The system should not support such things,” Justice Nagaprasanna said.  Doctor-activist flagged presence of Bangladeshi illegal immigrants, Bengaluru Police arrested him instead  Petitioner Dr Nagendra’s advocate, Girish Bharadwaj, submitted before the court that his client is a social activist who has been helping the police in detecting illegal Bangladeshi immigrants staying in Bengaluru.  Dr Nagendra, of Sai Clinic-Bettadasapura-Bellandur, had informed the Investigation Officer about the presence of alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants on 22nd July 2026.   Just 15 minutes after the information was communicated to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), one of the alleged Bangladeshi illegals filed a criminal complaint against the petitioner.  In response to another complaint filed by the petitioner regarding Bangladeshi infiltrators allegedly illegally residing in Bengaluru, a criminal case was registered against the doctor-activist at another police station.  Consequently, petitioner Dr Nagendra was arrested and remanded to custody on Thursday (23rd July). He was released on bail the next day.  Dr Nagendra was booked on charges of assaulting a Bangladeshi couple, Naseerna and Mohammad Bilal, who were alleged to be illegally residing in Whitefield, Bengaluru.  The 23-year-old Bangladeshi woman filed a complaint against Dr Nagendra, accusing Dr Nagendra of dragging and assaulting her and her husband Mohammad Bilal, a driver, over their nationality.    Naseerna was reported to have claimed that Dr Nagendra hurled verbal abuses at them in Hindi and threatened to kill the Bangladeshi couple if they approached the police.  Based on the complaint, the Bellandur Police booked Dr Nagendra on charges of assault, insulting the modesty of a woman, wrongful restraint, and criminal intimidation. Subsequently, the doctor-activist was arrested by the police on 23rd July.  However, before his arrest, Dr Nagendra published a video related to the incident on his Facebook page. In the video, he can be purportedly heard accusing the complainant couple of being from Bangladesh, and that they were previously deported from India before returning. Bilal, on the contrary, claimed to be residing in Bengaluru for the last 20 years.  The police had confirmed that the complainant couple were indeed from Bangladesh, and that they were gathering more information in this regard.  Court raps Bengaluru Police for Dr Nagendra’s unusually quick arrest, urges them to stop appeasing Bangladeshi illegal immigrants  The Karnataka High Court heard the matter on Tuesday (28th July). The court not only stayed the probe in the two criminal cases against Dr Nagendra but also came down heavily on the Bengaluru Police for the “abuse of the process” and “appeasement”.  Dr Nagendra’s lawyer submitted that if the police actually intended to act against illegal immigration in Bengaluru, they would have acted against landlords who had allegedly rented their premises to illegal immigrants.  Meanwhile, Special Public Prosecutor, BN Jagadeesh submitted that the alleged Bangladeshi illegals were already produced before the FRRO and were placed in a detention centre. The SPP, however, maintained that the complainant had alleged assault by petitioner Dr Nagendra.  “We are saying they are illegal immigrants. They are staying illegally. They have been kept in the detention centre. Let the FRRO be made a party. We will secure all documents. There is no question of shielding anyone,” the SPP said.  The court, however, noted the unusual dexterity shown by the Bengaluru Police in registering cases against the petitioner and arresting him.  Justice Nagaprasanna noted that the Investigating Officer had at 11:30 pm on 22nd July officially informed the FRRO that the complainant, Nasreena Bilal, was a Bangladeshi illegal immigrant who should be detained and deported to Bangladesh.  However, within 15 minutes, the same Bangladeshi woman, Nasreena Bilal, filed a criminal complaint against the petitioner.  Justice Nagaprasanna rebuked the police and questioned how they could even take a complaint from an illegal immigrant who has mentioned her address as Bangladesh.   The court said that when it was confirmed by the complainant herself that she is from Bangladesh, the police should have conducted a preliminary inquiry before booking and arresting the petitioner.  “If you ask to send illegal immigrants out, based on the illegal immigrant’s complaint, you register a crime. They say they were beaten. Their address is Bangladesh. How are you registering a crime on such a complaint? Look at the complaint itself. It mentions Bangladesh. How did you even take this complaint?”  Justice Nagaprasanna orally asked.  The Karnataka High Court also observed that the timing of the complaint filing against the petitioner indicated that the Bengaluru Police registered what seemed to be a counter-case after Dr Nagendra informed the authorities about Bangladeshi illegal immigrants.  The court also blasted the state’s Congress government, saying that “This is why illegal immigrants continue to stay. If the government supports them like this, this is what will happen. It is a straight counterblast.”  Regarding the assault allegations, the court highlighted the absence of any medical evidence that confirms that Dr Nagendra assaulted the complainant.  The court also noted that filing of a complaint against the petitioner within minutes of his communication to the authorities about illegal immigrants, “illustrated abuse of the process”.  “There is no wound certificate. No medical examination. At 11.30 pm the investigating officer found nothing. Within fifteen minutes, a complaint is registered. Can there be a better illustration of abuse of the process? Stop appeasing; how long can this continue? It is appeasement,” the court said.  The court also raised concerns over Indian citizens allegedly providing rented accommodations to illegal immigrants.   “Many people give houses on rent for a few extra rupees. If greed overtakes the security of the nation, what else can be done? Action must also be taken against those who provide shelter to persons who have no visa or documents,” the court said.  The court further urged the police to stop targeting individuals who flag the presence of undocumented foreign nationals with FIRs.  Justice Nagaprasanna noted that the facts that emerged in the matter prima facie indicate an abuse of the criminal process. Thus, the court stayed further probe in both criminal cases against petitioner Dr Nagendra until further orders.   Meanwhile, the FRRO has been directed to become a respondent in the case and issue instructions regarding the status of the alleged Bangladeshi illegal immigrants before the court.  The next hearing in the matter will be held on 6th August 2026.