The accused were produced in Shillong on Tuesday. They had pending cases against them in Meghalaya, and this case was registered at Dawki police station in Shillong.
Speaking to The Indian Express, a top police official from Meghalaya (west zone) said, “It is a two-month-old case. They have been produced here in a local court.”
The accused were Awami League General Secretary of Sylhet district and ousted chairman of Zilla Parishad Nasiruddin Khan; president of Sylhet Metropolitan Youth League, Alam Khan Mukti; vice president of Sylhet Metropolitan Youth League, Abdul Latif Ripon; and Metropolitan Awami League member Ilyas Ahmad Jewel.
Police said the accused had been brought to the Barasat Court in West Bengal on Sunday on charges of illegal entry, robbery, highway banditry, damaging government property, and assault with sharp weapons. However, the case could not be heard due to court holidays, though transit remand was requested.
Barasat advocate Aslamuzzaman said, “As per provisions, if the accused can be produced to a local court within 24 hours they don’t necessarily be taken on transit remand. Hence, the Meghalaya police came here.”
After Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh government fell on August 5, many heavyweight leaders of the Awami League fled the country.
According to Shillong police sources, Awami League leaders escaped from Sylhet and came to Shillong. Two are allegedly still absconding: Sylhet District Volunteer League President Afsar Aziz and Metropolitan Volunteer League General Secretary Debanshu Das Mithu.
It was also learnt that six people, including Nasir Uddin Khan, who were in Shillong after fleeing the country, allegedly stayed in a flat a little away from Shillong market. They allegedly went to Kolkata on December 1.
The leaders have been booked under the Foreigners Act charge of illegal entry into India as well as sections 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt), 309 (4) (robbery), 310 (2) (robbery), 324 (public property damage) of the BNS.
Jawans of the security forces and police of bordering areas are keeping strong watches along Ghojadanga, Petrapole, Mehandipur, Phulbari, Chayangrabandha, etc. in south and north West Bengal regions to prevent Bangladeshi infiltrations, said a BSF official.