Guwahati, Jan 5: The Cops in Karimganj district of Southern Assam, bordering Bangladesh, are investigating how a ‘culvert’ below the barbed wire fencing on the India-Bangladesh border in the districts was used for sneaking into Bangladesh in a recent adduction case, can also be used for alleged ‘illegal; infiltration’.

While investigating the case of the abduction of Dilwar Hussain from karimganj who was allegedly taken to Bangladesh by the kidnappers, Assam Police stumbled upon a ‘secret route’ that the kidnappers might have used to sneak in and out of India. A 20-meter long hume-Pine below the culvert was used to sneak into the India and vice –versa police sources added.

Police are now probing if this is one of the regular ‘secret routes’ used by cross border smugglers, traffickers, and criminals for illegal infiltration. Police sources have further added that they also are not ruling out that this route can be used by illegal migrants to enter India.

Last week, Nilam Bazar police station in Karimganj received an abduction complaint from family members of one Dilwar Hussain. “A missing case was reported and we picked up a suspect Alim Uddin, and the victim Dilwar Hussain was later recovered. During the investigation to that case, we found out that near the Pramod Nagar tea estate adjacent to the India Bangladesh border, we took the accused and the victim to the area to find out how they sneaked into Bangladesh and came back and found out that a culvert connects the border areas under the fencing. We found that people can easily sneaking into India and vice versa. We did not find any BSF personnel there at that time” said Additional SP of karimganj Jyoti Ranjan Nath briefed the media on Monday.

Police sources added that the abductors had demanded a ransom of Rs 5 lakh from Dilowar’s family and asked them to hand over the amount to Alim Uddin, for Dilawar’s release. Dilawar was taken to Bangladesh. When Alim Uddin crossed the border again to take the ransom money, police picked him up. After his arrests, Dilawar was released without any ransom paid, police sources added.

Both Dilawar and Alim Uddin had confessed’ that the India Bangladesh border culvert was used for sneaking into to Bangladesh and vice versa.

Additional SP Nath added that in 2018 Assam police had arrested two Bangladeshi for illegal entry into India and in that investigation, cops had found that a similar type of culvert was used for illegal infiltration.

The All Assam Students Union has reiterated its demand to seal the India-Bangladesh border in the wake of the detection of a “secret tunnel” in Karimganj district connecting the country with neighbouring Bangladesh.

AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya on Monday said “It proves the callousness of the central and the state government. It is a threat to security and sovereignty, endangering the Assam border, which is an inexcusable crime. We demand total sealing of border as per Assam Accord,”

Karimganj district shares a 92-km border with the Sylhet division of Bangladesh, of which about 41km is riverine.

BSF is yet to make any official statement on this incident.