Hyderabad police nabs Rohingya refugee who faked Aadhar, Voter ID

Hyderabad: The sleuths of Hyderabad and Falaknuma police arrested Aziz Ur Rahman, a Rohingya refugee, on November 15 for fraudulently obtaining Indian nationality through fake identity cards. A resident of Falaknuma, Aziz Ur Rahman has been accused of fabricating Indian identity and claiming welfare schemes through the various ID cards he made.

According to the police, the accused procured his Voter ID by submitting his electrical bill first. After the Voter ID was obtained, he proceeded to acquire an Aadhar, Ration Card, Driving Licence and Pan Card. In addition to this, Aziz also applied for a passport to legalise his family as Indian citizens.

The accused, who used to work in a slaughterhouse in Kamathipura, had migrated to Hyderabad from Buthidaung, under the Rakhine state of Myanmar in 2008. He got married to another Myanmar national, Sabekun Nahar Begum, under whose name the family has claimed KCR kit. They also have a daughter aged two years. KCR kit is a welfare programme launched by the state of Telangana for mother and child.

The refugee is also a holder of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) card. The United Nations agency had provided these biometric, fraud-proof identity cards to more than half a million Rohingya refugees as of August 2019. However, the issue turned more complicated following the UNHCR’s hesitation to share identity details of refugees, claiming that they have immunity from the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Rohingya Muslim refugees have been fleeing Myanmar since 2015 fearing religious persecution by the Myanmar state and seeking livelihoods in other nations. Amidst strict police surveillance, they have been crossing rivers through Myanmar and Bangladesh and arriving in India, searching for proper sustenance, and subsequently citizenship. It is said that the most sought out places for these immigrants are Bihar, J&K, and Hyderabad.