Kolkata Police personnel checking identity documents of a family residing under the Hastings Bridge on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The personnel say the drive is being carried out in several parts of the city to verify the nationality of people living on the streets and identify illegal residents
Personnel from the Kolkata police’s Security Control Organisation on Tuesday initiated a drive to check documents of people living on the streets of the city to verify their nationality and identify illegal residents.
At 12 p.m., two police teams reached Hastings Bridge on AJC Bose Road, under which about 200 families live in makeshift houses. They asked for documents such as voter ID, PAN, and Aadhaar cards, birth and death certificates of parents, and proof of residence. The exercise continued till 5 p.m.
“I am an Indian and have been staying here since my birth. Where will I go if they throw me out of this country?” said Sheikh Feroz, 37, whose name was deleted from the electoral roll during the special intensive revision exercise.
A construction worker, he stays with his wife Laila Khatoon, six children, and mother-in-law Noor Jahan, 70, under the flyover.
The personnel said the drive is being carried out in several parts of the city. “We checked papers in the Hastings Bridge area. Our teams are surveying a few more places. We are taking notes on the background of people. Notices will be issued to those found suspicious. They will be called for a hearing and a decision on their nationality will be taken,” an officer said.
Eviction notice
Meanwhile, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation issued notices to people living under the flyover on June 27 and directed them to vacate the area in seven days. A reminder notice was issued on Tuesday.
The Calcutta High Court on September 16, 2025, had ordered a stay on such evictions in the area till arrangements are made for the rehabilitation of residents. “They should have given prior notice. The government only wants to prove that these poor people are illegal residents,” said Firdous, a member of Muktokantho Mahila Samity, which works among the homeless in Kolkata.
Published – July 01, 2026 01:16 am IST
