A cross-border Facebook love story that culminated in a decade-long marriage has taken a legal turn in Gujarat's Anand district, where a Bangladeshi national faces deportation after being arrested for illegal entry into the country. The woman, identified as Kajuli (now known as Kajal), was apprehended by the local police earlier this month following a surveillance sweep targeting undocumented immigrants.

The arrest has left her family in deep distress. Her husband, Tarun Patel, a resident of Lambhvel village in Anand, has made an emotional appeal to the Union Government and Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi to halt the deportation proceedings on humanitarian grounds and grant his wife Indian citizenship.

Decadelong marriage under scrutiny

According to police sources, Kajuli’s journey began nearly 15 years ago when she first connected with Tarun on the social media platform Facebook. Over years of online interaction, the friendship evolved into a relationship. Desperate to move to India legally, Kajuli reportedly paid a local agent approximately ₹13,000 in Bangladesh to secure a passport but was allegedly defrached.

Facing immense domestic pressure from her family in Bangladesh to marry a local man, she crossed the international border without valid travel documents in 2016 through West Bengal. Upon reaching Gujarat, she formally converted to Hinduism and married Tarun in accordance with traditional Hindu rituals. The couple has since built a family in Lambhvel and are parents to two sons, aged eight and two.

International call leads to police crackdown

The long-hidden arrangement came to light during an intensive state-wide enforcement drive by the Gujarat Police aimed at identifying illegal immigrants. Investigators revealed that the breakthrough occurred when Kajal placed an international phone call to her ailing mother in Bangladesh.

The Anand Local Crime Branch (LCB) traced the cellular signals to the Lambhvel residence. A subsequent verification check confirmed her lack of statutory Indian identification or entry visas. On the night of June 2, police officials officially detained Kajal, later placing her in a state-run women's shelter home while initiating mandatory diplomatic channels for her repatriation.

Husband flags severe security risks

Speaking to the press, Tarun Patel emphasized that his wife’s migration was entirely driven by personal affection rather than any subversive or criminal intent. He expressed severe anxieties regarding her physical safety if she is handed over to Bangladeshi border authorities.

"She has completely adopted Hindu traditions and has been living peacefully as a homemaker here for over a decade," Tarun stated. "If she is sent back now, her biological family will likely disown her due to her conversion, and she could face severe threats from fundamentalist factions across the border."

CASE CHRONOLOGY & FAMILY MATRIX

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Initial Contact       Via Facebook (approx. 15 years ago)

Border Crossing       Illegal entry via West Bengal (2016)

Marital Status        Married Tarun Patel via Hindu rituals (2016)

Children              Two sons: Dhyan (8 years), Arsh (2 years)

Enforcement Action    Arrested by Anand LCB on June 2 after phone trace

Current Status        Detained at a women's shelter pending deportation

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Children appeal for mother's return

The separation has taken a heavy psychological toll on the couple’s young children. Their elder son, Dhyan, made a direct plea to local administrative authorities, stating that the family has been completely fractured since his mother was taken into custody more than two weeks ago.

The family's legal counsels are currently preparing a formal representation invoking the humanitarian provisions of Indian citizenship frameworks. They argue that since India has historical provisions to accommodate persecuted minorities from neighboring nations who seek refuge, Kajal's unique case of religious conversion and long-term marital integration should be reviewed constructively to prevent the separation of minor Indian citizens from their biological mother.