"She took calculated steps for the purpose."
Shanta Pal, a Bangladeshi YouTuber and model, was recently arrested in Kolkata for allegedly possessing several fake Indian identity documents.
The 28-year-old was living in a rented flat in the Bikramgarh area, where police conducted a raid.
Authorities claim that Shanta had entered India legally in 2023 using her Bangladeshi passport.
However, she continued to live in the country even after her visa had expired.
To blend in with the local population and extend her stay, she allegedly acquired fake Indian documents through a network of brokers.
The forged items reportedly included at least two Aadhaar cards, a voter ID, a PAN card, and a ration card.
Each of these cards was tied to different addresses within West Bengal.
Officials believe she used one of these addresses on Park Street to initially secure a ration card.
Later, she moved to Bijoygarh in Jadavpur and continued obtaining fake identification through other contacts.
Police said her goal appeared to involve Shanta posing as an Indian to travel abroad. She may have believed this move would improve her chances compared to doing so from Bangladesh.
During a verification process at the Golf Green Police Station, she allegedly failed to produce a birth certificate.
She was also unable to provide any credible information about her family.
A police officer stated: “Initial probe revealed that the woman was trying to travel to several foreign countries but could not manage to do so from Bangladesh.
“She took calculated steps for the purpose.”
Suspicions deepened, leading the Kolkata Police’s Anti Rowdy Section to file a formal complaint.
A raid on her flat followed, resulting in the discovery of multiple Indian and Bangladeshi identity papers.
This included an employee ID for Regent Airways and an admit card from Dhaka’s education board.
Authorities are also investigating how she managed to secure rental agreements and whether those property owners were aware of her true identity.
Her husband, said to be from Andhra Pradesh, and her parents, who were also living with her, are currently under investigation.
Shanta Pal has been remanded to police custody until August 8, 2025.
Police now believe her case may be tied to a broader fake document racket operating across state lines.
An investigation is ongoing to determine the full scope of her activities and whether she had additional accomplices.
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