On October 11th, 2023, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh Police busted a network that helped Bangladeshis infiltrate into India. During this, the police arrested Adil ur Rehman Ashrafi, Najibul Sheikh, and Abu Huraira. One of the persons arrested, Adil ur Rehman was a Bangladeshi infiltrator who was living in India by making fake identity cards, whereas Najibul Sheikh and Abu Huraira were residents of West Bengal who were living in Deoband when arrested.
At present Najibul is accused of giving shelter to Bangladeshi infiltrators in India, getting their identity cards made, and helping them raise money and is believed to have escaped arrests earlier due to an Inspector named Sirajuddin.
As per the reports, Najibul Sheikh’s name was taken twice directly and indirectly by UP ATS in its action, but both times he was not arrested by Saharanpur Police. OpIndia investigated the matter on the ground to learn that the cases registered earlier in which Najibul Sheikh had escaped arrest were investigated by Inspector Sirajuddin. At that time, Inspector Sirajuddin was posted as Inspector Crime in Deoband Thana Kotwali.
Allegations against Najibul
According to the UP ATS’s FIR, Najibul Sheikh, who traded in perfumes and caps in front of Deoband Darul Uloom, funded anti-India operations. Making fake Indian identity cards for Bangladeshi infiltrators was the primary thrust of these operations. The ATS FIR mentions about a half-dozen infiltrators who settled in India under Najibul Sheikh. Najibul Sheikh also accepted money from hawala to engage in anti-national acts. He also discussed with his anti-India seniors which Rohingya or Bangladeshi should be settled in which city.
Following that, ATS filed an FIR against Najibul and his associates under sections 370, 471, 467, 468, 419, 420, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as the Foreigners Act. Najibul has been in jail for the past ten months. Due to the evidence presented by ATS, his bail has also been rejected by the High Court.
Studied in Darul Uloom Madrasa, then shifted to Deoband
OpIndia while on the ground, gathered information about Najibul. He belongs to the 24 Parganas district of West Bengal and is the son of Sheikh Abdul Qadir. Najibul studied in a madrasa located in Haroa, West Bengal which is connected to Deoband. As informed to OpIndia, this particular madrasa was run by Abu Saleh, who was arrested by UP ATS in January 2024 in a terror funding case. Saleh is accused of taking crores of rupees from Britain’s Ummah Welfare Trust, notorious for terror funding.
It was learned that while studying at Abu Saleh’s madrasa, Najibul Sheikh met several persons involved with Deoband Darul Uloom. He is thought to have moved to Deoband following his studies in a madrasa in West Bengal as part of a well-planned scheme. He opened a perfume and cap shop directly in front of Darul Uloom. Students from all around the world studying at Darul Uloom Deoband began visiting this shop for shopping. The accused then began looking for persons for his anti-India activities among all of them.
The shop was just for the namesake, the real business was Hawala
According to the information gathered by OpIndia, Najibul Sheikh’s perfume and Islamic cap shop was only for the namesake. His main business was to get the hawala money from abroad. Notably, a large amount that Najibul got was from Bangladesh. He used this money to make identity cards and other documents of Bangladeshis who later infiltrated India. Najibul also arranged accommodation for many infiltrators in and around Deoband. Many suspicious transactions have also been traced through his account.
The ATS also claims that unauthorized mosques were being built in India with money obtained through hawala. The identities of Abdullah Ghazi, Abdul Awal, and Gaffar also appeared in this money transaction. Adil ur Rehman, who was arrested alongside Najibul, provided numerous revelations during interrogation. He revealed that Najibul had a significant role in the creation of his bogus identity card. One of Najibul’s brothers is also claimed to be serving in the Border Security Force.
It’s worth noting that the majority of the caps Najibul sold in his business were made in Bangladesh. Najibul used to do financial transactions in Bangladesh in order to purchase these caps. Relatives and family members of infiltrators in Bangladesh used to donate money to the cap wholesaler there. In exchange for the money, the caps would be sent from there to Najibul’s shop in Deoband. Najibul used to give money to the infiltrators present here by selling these caps at a specific location.
Najibul would have been caught in 2022 itself if Inspector Sirajuddin had not given him a clean chit
The Najibul who was sent to jail by UP ATS in October 2023 would have been arrested in the year 2022 itself, but then his name was removed in the investigation of Saharanpur Police Station Deoband. This happened on 28th April 2022. Then UP ATS Inspector Sudhir Kumar Ujjwal had lodged an FIR in Police Station Deoband of Saharanpur district. In this FIR, he had busted a big network of Bangladeshi infiltration. The name of Najibul was clearly mentioned in his FIR. The address of his shop was also written as Main Rashidiya Market in the FIR.
In the FIR filed by Sudhir Kumar Ujjwal, it was also stated that the shopkeeper selling scents and caps in front of Darul Uloom Deoband is connected to Bangladeshi infiltrators. However, the case was later investigated by Inspector Sirajuddin posted in Deoband. Sirajuddin mentioned in his investigation report that he could not find any evidence against the perfume and cap shopkeeper, Najibul. He also filed a charge sheet in the court which further boosted Najibul’s morale. Eventually, he started carrying out his criminal activities more cautiously under the guise of selling Islamic caps.
Najibul was clearly saved in the second FIR as well
After escaping for the first time in Inspector Sirajuddin’s investigation report, Najibul again narrowly escaped from the same Deoband police station for the second time. On 19th July 2024, UP ATS Inspector Sudhir Kumar Ujjwal registered another FIR. In this FIR, he arrested 2 Bangladeshi infiltrators named Habibullah and Ahmadullah. Both of them were found to have Indian identity cards and mobile SIMs made with fake documents.
It is believed that the infiltrator named Habibullah had relations with Najibul. The investigation of this case was also given to Inspector Sirajuddin posted at Deoband police station. However, Inspector Sirajuddin was ‘unsuccessful’ in finding the role of Najibul Sheikh in this whole case for the second consecutive time. As a result, despite two subsequent investigations by the same investigator, Najibul continued to flee. ATS didn’t have its own office then given that it had to rely on the police station area where the incident occurred for investigation and other steps.
Najibul Sheikh was caught by ATS after it solely investigated the case
Najibul was very calm after escaping in two separate instances registered in Deoband Kotwali. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh ATS established its own police station in Lucknow. ATS after this received both the FIR and the right to investigate. Finally, on October 11th, 2023, UP ATS apprehended Najibul Sheikh along with his accomplice. ATS has submitted numerous pieces of evidence against Najibul Sheikh in court. Najibul has been in Lucknow jail for almost ten months now. His bail application was likewise denied by the High Court.