Bhubaneswar: In a landmark ruling, a court in Odisha sentenced nine Bangladeshi nationals to two years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed fines for illegally infiltrating into the state.

The Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court convicted six men, three women, and one juvenile based on evidence presented by six witnesses and documentary proof. The juvenile has been placed at the Berhampur Juvenile Correction Home.

Along with the prison term, each of the nine convicts was fined ₹10,000, with an additional three months’ imprisonment if the penalty is not paid.

The convicts include Sojib Khan alias Mohammed Sojib, Alam Seikh, Mohammed Azim, Dilawara Seikh alias Altaf, Mohammed Soha Talukdar, Karima Begum, Monira Begum, and Sahana Begum.

The ten Bangladeshis including a juvenile were held on March 8, 2025, by the Special Task Force of the Odisha Crime Branch with the help of GRP at Bhubaneswar Railway Station. Authorities seized Bangladeshi and Indian currency as well as mobile phones from them.

The infiltrators reportedly left Bangladesh in March last year, crossed a forest route through Tripura, and reached Assam. From Guwahati, they traveled by train to Bhubaneswar Railway Station.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government has requested the Indian government to hand over the convicts to the Bangladesh High Commission after they complete their jail sentences.