Shamli, Uttar Pradesh – August 4: A man posing as a Hindu monk in Munti Hasanpur village of Uttar Pradesh for the past two years has been arrested by police after it was revealed that he is actually a Muslim resident of West Bengal. Authorities recovered two Aadhaar cards—one of them forged—and a separate identity document from his possession. Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials also reached the police station for questioning following the arrest, while West Bengal Police have launched a parallel probe.
Living Under a False Identity
According to police, the man had been living in a makeshift hermitage (kutiya) on village head Rameshwar’s farmland since 2023. He introduced himself as “Bengali Nath,” claiming to be a sadhu from Shakumbhari Road in Saharanpur. Even the Aadhaar card he presented carried this assumed identity.
However, upon investigation, police discovered a second Aadhaar card and an ID showing the man’s real name: Imamuddin Ansari Noor, son of Mohammad Ansari, from Thana Line locality in Kalchini police station area, Alipurduar district, West Bengal.
A History of Deception
The suspect told police during interrogation that he had been living under false identities since 2015. He first arrived in Saharanpur, staying at the Shakumbhari temple under the alias “Vijay.” During this time, he managed to obtain a fake Aadhaar card under the name “Bengali Nath, c/o Kamalnath.”
From Saharanpur, he moved to Nakur in 2019, staying there until 2023, before relocating to Munti Hasanpur village where he set up his hermitage. In recent months, he began collecting donations from locals for the construction of a Shani Dev temple and even requested land from the village head, which was granted.
Local Suspicions Lead to Arrest
Despite his convincing appearance and behavior, some villagers grew suspicious when they learned he had made several visits to West Bengal. Police were alerted, and upon conducting a raid on Saturday evening, they found multiple identity documents. The contradictions between the documents and his story triggered immediate action.
Married with Family in West Bengal
During interrogation, the man also admitted that he is married to a Muslim woman in West Bengal and has a child with her. Despite his family background, he had been introducing himself to locals as a Hindu sadhu named “Baba Bengali Nath.”
Legal Action Underway
Thana Bhawan police station in-charge Bijendra Singh Rawat confirmed the arrest and said the man had been deliberately hiding his identity. After preliminary questioning, he was produced in court and sent to jail. IB officials have been informed, and further investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, West Bengal police have been notified to assist in verifying the man’s true background and activities in his home state.
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