Pune: A Bangladeshi national who had been living in Belhe for over three decades using forged documents and practicing as a doctor has been apprehended by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). The accused, identified as Sukumar Panchanan Biswas, was arrested on Thursday (December 26) evening.

Sukumar began residing in Belhe in 1990 and established a medical practice using counterfeit identification documents. The Pune ATS registered a case against him at the Alephata Police Station under the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Passport Act, 1967 (Sections 3 and 6), and the Foreigners (Entry into India) Order, 1950.

During the operation, the ATS seized several documents from Sukumar and his wife, Lalita. The seized items include passports, visas, PAN cards, Aadhaar cards, ration cards, voter IDs, checkbooks, ATM cards, and other financial transaction records.

Assistant Police Inspector Amol Panhalkar is spearheading the investigation under the supervision of Police Inspector Dinesh Tayde. Sukumar has been remanded to judicial custody for five days.

The Pune District Health Department had previously identified Sukumar as a fake doctor and banned his medical practice. However, questions are being raised about how this ban was revoked and whether health officials accepted his forged documents without proper scrutiny. Authorities are expected to probe the involvement of any officials who facilitated this revocation.

Further investigation revealed that Sukumar had acquired significant property in Junnar, Parner, Shrigonda, Kalyan, and Mumbai. The source of funds for these transactions is under scrutiny, as are his financial dealings with local businesspeople. The police are also investigating his possible connections with illegal activities.