karnataka has acted quickly to strengthen its internal security against possible sleeper cells and illegal immigrants from pakistan in the wake of the april 22, 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 tourists and injured numerous others, making it one of the deadliest attacks since Pulwama 2019.
Karnataka Home minister G. Parameshwara made it plain that the state government is doing everything in its power to find and deport anyone without legitimate credentials in response to the Center's direction prohibiting Pakistani nationals from entering india under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).
Tightening the Noose on Illegal Residents
Following New Delhi's decision to stop SVES benefits for Pakistani passport holders, Parameshwara promised a vigorous crackdown on those without the required paperwork. "We're working hand in hand with central intelligence agencies," he told ANI. Any Pakistani resident found to be illegally residing in karnataka, especially Bengaluru, would be tracked down, arrested, and sent to their High Commission for expulsion.
The state police have established specialized verification teams in areas with high concentrations of hotels, guesthouses, and informal settlements to fulfill this duty. Officers from the cbi and IB have also been positioned within local police stations throughout the city, ready to respond as soon as they learn of any possible sleeper-cell operations.
Sleeper Cells: Evidence of Underground Networks
Cross-border networks have historically been linked to Bengaluru's history of terrorism, including Church Street (2014) and Chinnaswamy Stadium (2010). A Pakistani resident and three other people who had been living illegally on falsified passports were arrested during a search in the Jigani industrial belt on the outskirts of Bengaluru in late 2024 as a result of an Intelligence Bureau tip. Initial inquiries uncovered connections to a wider underground network that enabled identity theft and forged passports. Researchers caution that unless they are triggered, these cells can remain dormant for months or even years, integrating into the city's multicultural environment.
The true test will be Karnataka's efforts to uncover covert cells without inflaming intercommunal tensions and whether Bengaluru can continue to serve as both a stronghold against underground threats and India's center of innovation.
Karnataka Home minister G. Parameshwara made it plain that the state government is doing everything in its power to find and deport anyone without legitimate credentials in response to the Center's direction prohibiting Pakistani nationals from entering india under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).
Tightening the Noose on Illegal Residents
Following New Delhi's decision to stop SVES benefits for Pakistani passport holders, Parameshwara promised a vigorous crackdown on those without the required paperwork. "We're working hand in hand with central intelligence agencies," he told ANI. Any Pakistani resident found to be illegally residing in karnataka, especially Bengaluru, would be tracked down, arrested, and sent to their High Commission for expulsion.
The state police have established specialized verification teams in areas with high concentrations of hotels, guesthouses, and informal settlements to fulfill this duty. Officers from the cbi and IB have also been positioned within local police stations throughout the city, ready to respond as soon as they learn of any possible sleeper-cell operations.
Sleeper Cells: Evidence of Underground Networks
Cross-border networks have historically been linked to Bengaluru's history of terrorism, including Church Street (2014) and Chinnaswamy Stadium (2010). A Pakistani resident and three other people who had been living illegally on falsified passports were arrested during a search in the Jigani industrial belt on the outskirts of Bengaluru in late 2024 as a result of an Intelligence Bureau tip. Initial inquiries uncovered connections to a wider underground network that enabled identity theft and forged passports. Researchers caution that unless they are triggered, these cells can remain dormant for months or even years, integrating into the city's multicultural environment.
The true test will be Karnataka's efforts to uncover covert cells without inflaming intercommunal tensions and whether Bengaluru can continue to serve as both a stronghold against underground threats and India's center of innovation.
click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel