Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 31: Love transcends all boundaries. A 22-year-old woman, a Bangladeshi national, swam across the border braving the Royal Bengal Tigers in Sundarbans to marry her boyfriend from India. She has achieved her mission but has unfortunately landed in police custody for illegally entering the country.
She braved the wild forests of the Sunderbans, swam for an hour and entered India to unite with the love of her life. The Bangladeshi woman, identified as Krishna Mandal, met Abhik Mandal on Facebook and fell in love. As Krishna did not have a passport, she chose to cross the border illegally.
According to police sources, Krishna first entered the Sundarbans, which is known for its Royal Bengal Tigers. She then swam for about an hour in the river to reach her destination.
Three days ago, Krishna got married to Abhik at the Kalighat temple in Kolkata. However, she was arrested on Monday for illegally entering the country. Sources said Krishna may be handed over to the Bangladesh High Commission.
Earlier this year, a Bangladeshi teen had swam across the border only to buy chocolate from India. Eman Hossain swam across a small river and had crossed the border into India through a gap in a fence to get his favourite chocolate bar. The teen was handed over to the local police, after which he was produced before the court. He was then remanded to 15 days in judicial custody.
While the fate of Krishna Mandal still hangs in balance, in a similar case last year, the “infiltrating” woman was merely handed back to the Bangladeshi border security personnel without pursuing for any punishment. The 33-year old Bangladeshi woman had entered India illegally with the help of an Indian tout in August, last year, for medical treatment after she failed to secure a visa for her trip. She was caught by the BSF at the border but considering the circumstances, she was handed over to the Border Guard Bangladesh instead of prosecuting her for illegal entry.