kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Kolkata Police arrested Shanta Pal, a 28-year-old Bangladeshi model, actress, and food vlogger, from her rented apartment in Bikramgarh, Jadavpur on July 30, 2025. She now faces charges of cheating and forgery for allegedly possessing multiple forged Indian identity documents, including two Aadhaar cards (one each listing a Kolkata and a Burdwan address), a voter ID, a ration card, a PAN card, and a digitally registered marriage certificate.

Originally from Barisal, Bangladesh, Shanta entered India with a valid visa in 2023 but overstayed beyond its expiry date in 2021, according to police records. She lived in multiple locations across Kolkata, notably in Park Street and later in Bikramgarh, often shifting residence and identities.

Shanta Pal won the Miss Asia Global title in 2019 and pursued acting roles in Bengali, Telugu, and Odia films. She also previously worked as cabin crew for Regent Airways (Bangladesh). She ran a food-vlogging page and a travel business social media presence titled ‘Asan Travels Kolkata and Bangladesh’, posting extensively about travel destinations such as Digha, Gangtok, and the strategic Nathu La Pass in Sikkim.

Police also discovered she had digitally registered a marriage with a merchant navy sailor from Andhra Pradesh, using falsified Indian IDs. Together, they reportedly intended to establish businesses—including a potential guest house in New Alipore and a car rental venture—and had applied for a bank loan using forged documents.

Shanta has been remanded in judicial custody until August 8. During investigation, police have reached out to UIDAI, the Election Commission, and the West Bengal Food Department to trace how these identity cards were issued. Residents from one of the addresses listed on an Aadhaar card in East Burdwan reportedly did not recognize her, raising further suspicion.

Police are also investigating a close associate and fellow Bangladeshi national, Suman Chandrashil, whose Aadhaar details matched an address in Behala. He is now under scrutiny following interrogation of Shanta, although his current whereabouts remain unknown. Authorities have noted that he has not been seen in that locality for several months.

Kolkata detectives are probing whether Shanta Paul's activities parallel those of Jyoti Malhotra, an Indian vlogger arrested under alleged espionage charges in 2025. Given Pal’s extensive travel across border regions and public content creation at sensitive locations, officers have not ruled out a potential espionage angle.

what began as a forgery case has evolved into a multi-pronged probe encompassing illegal residency, fraudulent business operations, digital marriage, visa abuse, financial fraud, and a possible espionage nexus. All of these are under active investigation by Kolkata’s Detective Department.