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A family of four Pakistani nationals, living in the outskirts of Bengaluru under assumed identities, were apprehended on Sunday by Indian authorities. Rashid Ali Siddiqui (48), his wife Ayesha (38), and her parents Hanif Mohammed (73) and Rubina (61) had been residing in Rajapura village under the aliases Shankar Sharma, Asha Rani, Ram Babu Sharma, and Rani Sharma, respectively. This revelation came to light after two Pakistani individuals were detained at Chennai International Airport with fake passports, their connection to Siddiqui ultimately leading the police to the Bengaluru family.
Upon arriving at the family's residence, police found them packing up to leave. Siddiqui, identifying himself as Sharma, claimed he had been living in Bengaluru since 2018 and presented the family's Indian passports and Aadhaar cards bearing their Hindu aliases. However, the police found the phrase 'MEHDI FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL JASHAN-E-YOUNUS' inscribed on the wall, along with photographs of Islamic clerics. This discrepancy in the family's presented identity and the evidence discovered at their home led the authorities to delve further.
During interrogation, Siddiqui, also known as Shankar Sharma, confessed that they were indeed from Pakistan, specifically from Liaquatabad in Karachi and Lahore. He detailed marrying Ayesha in an online ceremony in 2011 while she was in Bangladesh with her parents. He explained that he had to relocate from Pakistan to Bangladesh due to persecution against religious leaders in his homeland. He went on to say that he served as a preacher in Bangladesh, his expenses covered by the Mehdi Foundation. However, he faced further threats in Bangladesh in 2014 and sought refuge in India with the help of Parvez from the Mehdi Foundation.
Siddiqui, his wife, parents-in-law, and two relatives Zainabi Noor and Mohammed Yasin, illegally crossed the border from Bangladesh to India via Malda in West Bengal with the aid of agents. They initially resided in Delhi where they obtained fake Aadhaar cards, passports, and driving licenses under the 'Sharma' guise. Siddiqui continued his preaching activities for the Mehdi Foundation in Delhi. Later, during a trip to Nepal in 2018, Siddiqui met Wasim and Altaf, Bengaluru residents, who invited him to preach in their city. Altaf assisted with rent, while the Mehdi Foundation compensated Siddiqui for his appearances on Alra TV, a YouTube channel promoting Sufism. The family opened bank accounts in Bengaluru, with Siddiqui also engaging in side businesses selling oil to garages and food items.
The police have registered a case against the family, alleging charges of cheating, forgery, and using forged documents, under the Indian Penal Code and the Passport Act. The Mehdi Foundation International, the organization tied to the family, promotes the teachings of Younus AlGohar, a spiritual teacher and advocate of Sufism. The foundation advocates for religious harmony and peace, actively working against religious extremism and seeking to de-radicalize Muslim youth through Sufism. However, the Mehdi Foundation has faced persecution in various Muslim countries, including Pakistan, highlighting the complexities and dangers of religious practices and beliefs across borders.
This case highlights the vulnerabilities in identity verification systems and the potential for individuals to exploit them for personal gain or to evade authorities. The arrest of this Pakistani family in India for living under false identities emphasizes the ongoing challenges associated with transnational religious organizations and the complexities of cross-border religious persecution. The authorities will continue to investigate this case to determine the full extent of the family's activities and their connections to the Mehdi Foundation.
Source: Pakistan family living in India under ‘Sharma’ identity for 10 yrs held in Bengaluru