Mumbai: A Bangladeshi woman was arrested at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Wednesday by Sahar Police for allegedly entering India illegally and obtaining an Indian passport using forged documents. The woman, identified as Maria Khatun Mohammad Mansoor Ali, was taken into custody following a complaint lodged by immigration officer Sameer Pathan.
According to the police, Maria had been living in Mumbai for the past 33 years. She reportedly fled Bangladesh due to extreme poverty and starvation and entered India when she was around 15 years old. After settling in Mumbai, she married an Indian citizen, Arvind Kumar Heeralal, and used his identity to obtain Indian documents, including a passport issued in 2016. She later renewed this passport twice and used it to travel to several countries, including working in Kuwait for six years.
Maria landed in Mumbai from Kuwait around 2:30 am on May 25, 2025. During document verification, immigration officials found discrepancies in her papers and detained her for questioning. During interrogation, she confessed to being a Bangladeshi national and admitted to using forged documents to claim Indian citizenship.
Based on Sameer Pathan’s complaint, a case has been registered against her for forgery, illegal entry, and misuse of a passport. She has been handed over to Sahar Police for further investigation and legal action.
Police have charged her under sections related to fraudulently obtaining government documents, misrepresentation of nationality, and violating immigration laws. Authorities are also verifying how she managed to renew her passport multiple times and travel undetected for so long.
