Bangladeshi model arrested for staying in India using forged documents; acted in Tamil and Bengali films, participated in beauty pageant in Kerala

KOLKATA: A Bangladeshi woman who had been living illegally in India using forged documents has been arrested by the police. The accused is 28-year-old Shanta Paul, an actress and model. She had previously worked as a cabin crew member for a Bangladeshi airline. The arrest was made following a police investigation based on confidential information.

Shanta Paul arrived in India in 2023 and later married Ashraf, a merchant navy officer from Andhra Pradesh. The couple then moved to a flat in Kolkata. She allegedly submitted forged documents, including Aadhaar, PAN, and voter ID cards, to rent the apartment. According to the police, these documents were procured through a local agent. Two Aadhaar cards with different addresses were recovered from her possession. She had reportedly told others that she was staying in the flat due to family disputes.

Shanta had represented Bangladesh in several beauty pageants and had also participated in the Miss Asia Global contest held in Kerala in 2019. For the past two years, she had been acting in Tamil and Bengali films and had recently signed a contract for an Odia film, police said. She is currently being interrogated in police custody.