The verification exercise involved checking identity cards, passports, visas and other documents. (Photo Credit: Special Arrangement)Twenty Bangladeshi nationals were detained in Bengaluru’s Electronic City division and four in the Whitefield division on Saturday during a police verification aimed at identifying illegal immigrants allegedly residing in the city.The drive, part of the citywide ‘Operation Mukta’, involved police teams within the Electronic City division limits verifying 1,909 people at 29 locations. A total of 23 teams comprising 295 personnel were deployed for the operation.The police said the 20 Bangladeshi nationals found staying without valid visas or documents in Electronic City are from Bagerhat and Khulna districts in the neighbouring country.The verification involved checking identity cards, passports, visas and other documents. The details of those identified as foreign nationals are being sent to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for further action, including deportation as per procedure.The drive was also conducted in the Whitefield division, where more than 500 police personnel checked over 30 locations. The police said around 40 people were detained for verification, of whom four were identified as Bangladeshi nationals. Verification of the others was underway.Police exerciseThe police said the exercise is not limited to identifying foreign nationals, but also involves checking how they entered the country and whether they obtained Indian identity documents with the help of local handlers.“We are also examining the role of landlords, builders and others who may have facilitated the stay of foreign nationals without proper documentation. They have been asked to verify the identity and citizenship documents of tenants and workers,” a senior police officer said, adding that many of these people who were questioned are construction and daily wage labourers.Story continues below this adOfficers said Indian citizens detained during the verification would be allowed to leave once their identity is established, while foreign nationals found to be staying without authorisation would be referred to the FRRO for further legal action.Groups condemn police actionThe People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ), Domestic Workers Rights Union (DWRU) and All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) have, meanwhile, filed a complaint before the Karnataka home minister, director general of police and the Bengaluru city police commissioner, alleging illegal detention, assault and inhuman treatment of migrant and daily-wage workers during the drive.Also Read | Expired meat, veggies with fungus: What officials found at 6 Bengaluru 5-star hotelsIn their complaint, the organisations alleged that police teams entered settlements in several parts of Bengaluru and detained people, including women and children, even after they produced identity documents. They also alleged that some detainees were beaten, their phones confiscated and their private messages and call records examined.They further claimed that several people were taken into custody merely for “verification” and that some were sent to the FRRO based on international numbers found in their call records.Story continues below this adThe groups said, “Foreign nationality cannot be presumed on the basis of language, religion, place of residence or the presence of international phone numbers in call records.” They have sought an independent inquiry into the operation, medical treatment for those allegedly injured, action against personnel found responsible and compensation for those illegally detained or assaulted.