An Indian Army soldier has been arrested on the allegation that he assisted two Bangladeshi nationals in crossing the international border into India without valid documents. The Border Security Force (BSF) intercepted the pair at the Swarupnagar sector of the India–Bangladesh frontier in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. Police subsequently detained the soldier after questioning the two foreigners.
The soldier has been identified as Gautam Adhikari, a resident of Magra in Hooghly district. He is posted at Jodhpur in Rajasthan and was on leave at the time of the incident. He was taken into custody from his home in Hooghly on Tuesday, 22 September.
The two Bangladeshi nationals have been identified as Joy Barui and Baishakhi Barui, both described as residents of Gopalganj district in Bangladesh. They were detained on Monday night, 21 September, when BSF personnel spotted them attempting to cross the barbed-wire fence along the Bithari–Hakimpur border under Swarupnagar. Reports place the attempt in the Daharkand area of the Bithari–Hakimpur Gram Panchayat.
Investigators say the two Bangladeshi nationals were questioned after their detention. Police sources state that Adhikari’s name emerged during that interrogation, following which he was arrested and his alleged role in facilitating the crossing is under examination. Officials are also seeking to establish why the pair attempted to enter India. No confirmed motive has been made public. Police are examining whether a wider facilitation network is involved.
Adhikari and the two Bangladeshi nationals have been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. Cases have been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation remains at an early stage.
The Bithari–Hakimpur stretch in Swarupnagar is a known crossing point on the West Bengal–Bangladesh frontier. BSF units regularly patrol the fenced sections of the border in this sector. Authorities have not issued a detailed public statement on whether Adhikari was physically present at the fence at the time of the attempt or whether his alleged assistance took another form.
The Army has not issued an independent public comment in the reports available so far. Service rules typically provide for simultaneous criminal investigation by the police and internal disciplinary action by the military once an allegation of this nature is established.
Further questioning of the three accused is expected during the period of judicial custody. Police have not disclosed whether any money changed hands, whether the two Bangladeshi nationals had prior links with Adhikari, or whether others remain at large.
The case will be watched closely because it involves an active-duty soldier and an illegal crossing on a sensitive international border. Final conclusions will depend on the completed investigation and the evidence placed before the court.
