Four Afghan nationals arrested in Guwahati for illegal stay

Guwahati, June 22 (IANS) In a significant crackdown, Assam Police on Sunday arrested four Afghan nationals from Guwahati’s Hatigaon area for allegedly residing in the country without valid documentation.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided a rented house near Little Flower School and apprehended the four individuals, identified as Aman Khan, Rizwan Khan, Yusuf Zahid, and Asif Rana.

According to a senior police official, the detainees had been living in Assam since 2015 without any legal authorisation.

A search of the premises yielded several objectionable and suspicious documents, raising concerns about their activities in the city.

Preliminary investigations suggest the group was operating an illegal money-lending business in Guwahati.

A case has been registered under Hatigaon Police Station (Case No. 112/25), and authorities are probing their network and activities during their prolonged undocumented stay.

The police are working to determine how the individuals entered the country and managed to stay undetected for so long.

More details will come as the investigation is ongoing, said the officials.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been insistent on cracking down on illegal infiltration, and he asserted that police have been instructed to remain vigilant across the international boundary.

In a separate incident on Sunday, a 27-year-old man allegedly died by suicide in the Dakshin Gaon area of Guwahati. The deceased, identified as Pawan Hazarika from Assam's Lakhimpur district, was the Managing Director of a private coaching institute, Affinity Classes.

Initial reports indicate that Hazarika may have taken the extreme step due to prolonged mental harassment. A team from Bhagadattapur Police Station reached the spot and launched an investigation. A youth named Ankit Agarwala has been detained for questioning in connection with the case. A suicide note recovered from the scene reportedly points to a financial dispute involving Rs 60 lakh, suggesting monetary coercion may have played a role.

Police are currently probing all possible angles, including harassment and financial pressure, behind the alleged suicide.

--IANS

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