Allahabad: The arrest of a Bangladeshi national camping on the Mela ground without a valid visa, on Friday, shed light on how the Kumbh-2019 was turning out to be a safe haven for criminals from across the country, camping at the venue by posing as saints.On Friday, Mela police arrested a Bangladeshi national near akhara area on the charges of entering the country without a valid passport and visa. The fugitive, Bablu Rai, is a native of Purse Balram village in Rangpur district of Bangladesh. He had entered the Mela premises on February 14 and was posing as a pilgrim interested in ‘tapasya’.The swathes of pilgrims, mystical seers smoking chillum and countless tents of akharas and the vast 3,200 hectare Mela ground—the Kumbh Mela serves as an ideal hideout for criminals looking to evade the police. Ever since the Mela began on January 15, ove r 20 persons have been arrested from the Kumbh Mela ground till now. The arrest of a murder suspect by Aurangabad police from Maharashtra in January third week was the first one made during the Kumbh Mela. The accused, Sonu Harishchandra (38), was a resident of Meja.Harishchandra had been on the run after murdering a canteen operator in Maharashtra in October. He had been camping by posing as a saint at the Mela ground, while evading arrests.On January 25, a suspected serial killer loitering at the Kumbh Mela ground was arrested near akhara campus with a blood-stained axe and a sharp-edged weapon. Police said the accused, Kalua Patel alias Sai Baba alias Subhash, was a resident of Lalapur and was mentally disturbed. He told the police that he had allegedly killed 11 people and would target anyone who used to taunt him for dishevelled appearance and unstable condition.On January 29, Maharastra police nabbed a Mumbai-based man for stealing diamonds. The accused, Yatish Fichadia, had been posing as a seer camping at the Mela ground. A resident of Kalyan area of Mumbai, he had duped over 25 traders of diamonds worth crore of rupees during one–and-a half months.Over 16 robbers from south Indian states were arrested by joint teams of Mela and Allahabad police in Alopibagh and Daraganj areas, which are near the Mela premises. SSP (Kumbh) KP Singh, said, “Nine special teams have been formed to keep an eye on persons either staying at the campus of akharas and organisations or their activities were found suspicious.”

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