Bangladeshi model arrested in Kolkata, fake Aadhaar, Ration Cards recovered

Mangalore Today News Network

Kolkata, Aug 2, 2025: A Bangladeshi woman was arrested this week in Kolkata for residing in India using fake documents. Shanta Paul was working as a crew member of an airline company and was also a small-time model, the police said after arresting her with fake Indian documents on Tuesday.

She entered India in 2023 from Bangladesh’s Barisal using a valid passport, and then rented a flat in Kolkata through a property dealer.

Paul allegedly told the owner she wanted to live separately as her family wasn’t happy with her marrying a Muslim man.

To sign the rent agreement, she gave fake Indian documents like the Aadhaar card, PAN card, and the voter ID. According to her fake documents, accessed by NDTV, she was born in 1998.

She also married Shaik Mohammad Ashraf, a resident of Andhra Pradesh, on June 5, according to her marriage certificate accessed by NDTV. Her marriage was registered in the bordering district of Nadia.

"The duo rented an apartment in Park Street and later moved to Golf Green, where they began living together. Shanta reportedly kept Ashraf’s passport in her possession. With the help of a local agent, she allegedly forged multiple Indian identity documents, including a ration card, an Aadhaar card, a voter ID, and a PAN card," the news agency PTI quoted a police officer as saying.

Paul also allegedly used fake Indian documents to jointly rent properties in Kolkata with Ashraf, who works in the merchant navy, the officer said.

She represented Bangladesh in the Indo-Bangla Beauty Pageant in 2016 and went on to become Miss Asia Global in 2019.

In the last two years, she acted in Tamil and Bengali films, and even signed an Odia film, the officer said. 

"Following her success in modelling, she began her acting career before eventually joining a Bangladeshi airline," he added.

She is currently in police custody till August 8.