The Detective Department of Kolkata Police has arrested Bangladeshi actress and model Shanta Paul for allegedly possessing forged Indian identity documents, including an Aadhaar card and a voter ID. The 28-year-old was apprehended from her rented apartment in Bijoygarh, Jadavpur, where she had been residing since 2023.
Originally from Barisal, Bangladesh, Paul is known for her participation in various modelling contests and was a contestant at the Miss Asia Global 2019 competition held in Kerala. Her high-profile career in fashion and entertainment has now come under scrutiny as authorities investigate the alleged procurement of Indian identity credentials.
According to police sources, Paul was produced before a local court on Wednesday and remanded to police custody until August 8. Investigators have reached out to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Election Commission of India, and the West Bengal State Food Department to verify the authenticity of her Aadhaar card, voter ID, and ration card.
Kolkata Police officials said Paul’s husband, a resident of Andhra Pradesh, is also being investigated for potential involvement, along with her parents, who were reportedly staying with her in the south Kolkata flat.
“We are examining how a foreign national was able to obtain Indian identification documents and whether there was any official collusion or identity theft involved,” a senior police officer at Lalbazar told reporters, requesting anonymity due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Paul’s case has raised serious concerns about the misuse of documentation systems and the possibility of wider networks facilitating the acquisition of Indian identity by foreign nationals. Police are also looking into her activities since arriving in India and any connections she may have developed in administrative or modelling circles.
Further developments are awaited pending document authentication and digital forensics.
