Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad Crime Branch today arrested Lalla Pathan (Bihari), the mastermind behind illegal Bangladeshi settlements near Chandola Lake. The arrest took place in Rajasthan, days after his son Fateh Mohammad was detained on April 29.

Lalla Bihari and his son are accused of helping illegal Bangladeshi immigrants settle in the illegal encroachment areas around the lake by creating false rental agreements. Bihari is also accused of running a prostitution racket in the area.

According to the police, Bihari not only facilitated shelter for the illegal migrants but also arranged for fake Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and other Indian identity documents. Investigators have also uncovered his ties with local political leaders who allegedly helped these foreigners obtain Indian documentation. The Crime Branch is now likely to summon several politicians for questioning and investigate whether any government officials were involved in the racket.

During the interrogation of Lalla Bihari’s son Fateh, the police discovered that he lived in five different houses with his four wives. From these properties, the police recovered several bank account documents, fake rent agreements, bill books, and even a money counting machine. Fateh had also told the police that Bihari was in Rajasthan attending a wedding, which led the police to his arrest.

Further investigation revealed that Bihari had been running a complex web of illegal businesses, including sex trade, drug distribution, and electricity theft. He allegedly earned ₹15–20 lakh per month and had connections with Bangladeshi agents. Many of the migrants were reportedly employed in illegal activities upon arrival in Ahmedabad.

Crime Branch officials have seized 43 bogus rent agreements and over 60 rental booklets, indicating how Bihari and his associates had turned encroachments into a source of steady income. Authorities are now scrutinizing his bank transactions and land records to trace the full extent of his illegal empire, which also included a lavish farmhouse near Chandola Lake used for illicit parties, now demolished.

Officials are continuing their investigation, and the crackdown could lead to further arrests of landlords, tenants, notaries, and document forgers involved in this racket. DeshGujarat