Kolkata, Jul 31 (PTI) The arrested Bangladeshi woman, who was working as a crew member of an airline company and was also a small-time model in the neighbouring country, had entered India a few months ago using a valid passport and started staying at a rented accommodation in Kolkata, a Kolkata Police officer said on Thursday.

Shanta Paul, the Bangladeshi woman, who was arrested earlier this week, with fake Indian documents like Aadhaar card, had travelled to multiple cities in India as a crew member of an airline of the neighbouring nation, he said.

"Initial probe revealed that the woman was trying to travel to several foreign countries but could not manage to do so from Bangladesh. So, she chose to come to India and travel to foreign countries using Indian documents. She took calculated steps for the purpose. She rented a room in (central Kolkata's posh) Park Street and used that address to get a ration card with the help of an agent," the police officer told PTI.

From there, she shifted to a rented flat in the southern part of the city's Bikramgarh area and from there got in touch with another man and managed to secure fake Aadhaar card and voter ID card, the officer said, adding that they were trying to find out which documents did she use to get the accommodation in Park Street.

"She then applied for an Indian passport using all these fake documents. During verification, the woman was called by the officers of the Golf Green Police Station and at that time, she failed to produce her birth certificate and also could give proper answers regarding her family members," he said.

Suspecting something "fishy", a complaint was lodged at the Park Street Police Station by the Anti Rowdy Section (ARS) of Kolkata Police after they got the report from the Golf Green Police Station.

Eventually a raid was conducted by the ARS section of the city police this Monday when they seized several documents including Bangladeshi passports issued in her name, an employee ID of Regent Airways (Bangladesh), an admit card of Dhaka's education board, he said.

It was during this raid that several Indian identification documents including Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and ration cards were also seized, he added.

Police said that they were also trying to spot who all had helped her in getting the fake Indian documents and whether there was any "help" from any police personnel during the verification process.

A post on her social networking account, however, showed photographs of her "exposing" a man possessing both Aadhaar card and an identity proving him to be a Bangladeshi national.

"All those posts were made by the woman as a part of her strategy to prove herself to be an Indian who was possessive about her nation's security and well-being. We are talking to her to find out more about the matter," he added. PTI SCH NN

Identity fraud in obtaining Indian identity documents triggers criminal probe and seizure of multiple identity records. A foreign national used a valid foreign passport to enter India and, with assistance from agents and intermediaries, procured Indian identity documents including ration cards, Aadhaar and voter IDs; during passport verification police became suspicious, lodged complaints, conducted a raid, and seized both foreign and Indian identity documents while probing potential facilitators and verification lapses.