Kolkata, Aug 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Kolkata Police arrested a Thai woman from a spa in south Kolkata on charges of overstaying in India for several years without valid travel documents, officials said on Monday.
The arrest comes amid an intensified drive by law enforcement agencies across West Bengal to identify foreign nationals allegedly residing illegally in the country.
Acting on a tip-off, officers conducted a raid at a spa on Sarat Bose Road on Sunday and detained the woman during the operation. "We are investigating the entire matter. More details will be shared later," a police official said.
During preliminary questioning, the woman was unable to produce documents establishing her legal stay in India, the police said.
Investigators later examined her passport and visa records and found that her Thai passport had expired in 2025, while her Indian tourist visa had lapsed on February 27, 2021. Despite the expiry of both documents, she allegedly continued to stay in the country without obtaining the required legal permission.
Officials said the Centre has recently reiterated that foreign nationals without valid visas or other mandatory documents will not be permitted to remain in India. Following these directions, the police stepped up surveillance across Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal to identify illegally staying foreign nationals.
A special team has been constituted to carry out regular inspections and document verification at hotels, guest houses, spas, rented accommodations and other establishments. Investigators are now trying to determine how the Thai national managed to stay in India for such a long period, where she had been residing, who had been in contact with her, and whether she had links to any organised network.
Central agencies have also been informed about the arrest. The woman is scheduled to be produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Kolkata. Until further legal proceedings are completed, she has been kept in the custody of the Tollygunge Women's Police Station.
Following the change of government in West Bengal in May this year, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari chaired a meeting with senior police officers to review measures against infiltration. During the meeting, it was decided to establish specialised units, on the lines of the Special Task Force, within both the state and Kolkata Police to identify and apprehend foreign nationals staying illegally in the state.
Based on intelligence inputs, one such team tracked the Thai national to the Sarat Bose Road spa. The police questioned her regarding her immigration status and arrested her after she allegedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation or valid documents supporting her continued stay in India.
Source: IANS
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