Police rescue 2 Bangladeshis illegally confined in Kolkata hotel, arrest culprits

Two Bangladeshi nationals, who were allegedly confined illegally in a city hotel by two men on the pretext of arranging visas, were rescued by the police, an officer said on Tuesday.

The police also arrested the two accused, including a resident of the neighbouring country, who also allegedly extorted Rs 3 lakh from the abducted individuals.

"The two victims, identified as Rajib Laskar and Junaid Miya, had recently arrived in Kolkata on valid visas. They had plans to travel to Turkey from India and were looking to process the necessary visa," the investigating officer said.

The two allegedly got in touch with an alleged middleman, Achintya Kumar Pal, to arrange the documentation. Humayun Kabir, a Bangladeshi national who was in Kolkata, introduced the victims to Pal.

"On the pretext of facilitating visa formalities, the two were called to a hotel where they were allegedly confined," he said.

The accused then demanded Rs three lakh from the two, which was transferred from a bank account in Bangladesh to their account.

"Despite receiving the money, the accused allegedly demanded more," the officer added.

Police said they launched an investigation after receiving information about the incident and conducted a raid at the hotel, rescuing the two men. Humayun Kabir and Achintya Pal were arrested on charges of wrongful confinement and forcibly extorting money.

The police are also examining the passports on which the two rescued men travelled to India.

"The motive behind the confinement is still not clear. We are interrogating the accused and examining whether there was any financial dispute or collusion involved," the officer said.