Bengaluru city police have detained 15 people who are allegedly Bangladeshi nationals staying illegally in the city without valid visa or citizenship documents. The detentions were made during a special drive conducted by the Bengaluru city police on Saturday.

The police teams visited over 30 places across the city and initiated a verification process. A total of 1,909 suspected persons were checked during the operation. Police scrutinised their backgrounds, nationality and identity documents, including visas and passports.

The detainees were allegedly from Bagerhat and Khulna in Bangladesh. Police said further legal action would be initiated against all 15 persons under applicable laws. Their verified documents are being submitted to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for deportation.

The drive primarily covered the eastern and southeastern parts of the city. Saidulu Adavath, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield, said police visited nearly 30 locations, in his jurisdiction.

Speaking about the drive, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said that over 1,000 illegal immigrants had been found in the last three months. He said a dedicated team would be formed for the purpose if needed. He further noted that the State does not share a border with other countries and illegal entry is taking place through northern States with porous borders.

“We are in touch with Border Security Force,” he said.

Rights groups oppose

Taking exception to the drive, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ), and others have written to Karnataka Director General of Police and Mr. Kharge, stating that the action is “illegal and constitutionally impermissible.”

“The police conducted ‘verifications’ and checked their documents, seized several people’s phones and checked their private messages and call logs…. The presence of a foreign number on a phone does not prove or even create a prima facie case to presume foreign citizenship,” a statement by the unions said. They have demanded their immediate release.

A job racket promising appointments as Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) in the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department has come to light after a senior manager of a private pharmaceutical company allegedly lost ₹26 lakh to fraudsters.

According to a complaint filed at the Vidhana Soudha Police Station, the victim, a senior manager at a private pharmaceutical company in Whitefield, alleged that the accused convinced him they could secure a PDO post through their political and bureaucratic contacts.

The police said the prime accused, Santosh Hosamani, came into contact with him in December 2024 and claimed to be working in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) with strong links to Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) officials. He initially demanded ₹50 lakh for the job and allegedly collected ₹26 lakh in instalments.

When the appointment order did not materialise, the complainant questioned the accused. To keep him convinced, another person identifying himself as Rao allegedly called the victim several times from a landline number purportedly linked to the KPSC office and assured him that the PDO appointment was confirmed.

However, after several months without any appointment order and when Santosh allegedly stopped responding to calls, the victim realised he had been cheated and approached the police.

Based on the complaint, the Vidhana Soudha police have registered a case against Hosamani, Rao, Mahesh Kumar and Basavaraj and have launched an investigation.

The police have summoned the accused and are probing about the money trail.

By the time Chief Minister-designate D.K. Shivakumar arrived at Lok Bhavan’s Glass House on Wednesday evening to take oath as Karnataka’s 34th Chief Minister, central Bengaluru had already transformed into a sea of Congress flags, cut-outs, banners and supporters eager to witness a political journey decades in the making reach its defining moment.

Roads leading to Lok Bhavan were choked with traffic from the afternoon as party workers, elected representatives, supporters and invitees streamed towards the venue. At the same time, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Metro Station (Vidhana Soudha) witnessed heavy footfall as supporters flocked to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials said that they had anticipated the surge at both Vidhana Soudha and Cubbon Park stations and had deployed additional staff, along with police personnel, to manage the crowds.

Major gathering

Though initially described as a simple and austere swearing-in ceremony, the event quickly assumed the proportions of a major political gathering, with the Glass House packed to capacity well before the scheduled time.

Across the city, particularly along major thoroughfares, flexes and banners congratulating Mr. Shivakumar dominated the skyline. Large crowds of supporters, many from his home constituency of Kanakapura and other parts of Bengaluru South, watched the proceedings on giant screens and through live telecasts, treating the occasion as a celebration of one of their own reaching the State’s highest political office.

For Congress workers, the moment represented the culmination of a long political journey for a leader who rose through the ranks from student politics to become one of the party’s most influential figures in Karnataka.