Acting on a citywide verification drive to identify alleged “illegal Bangladeshi ghuspaithiya (infiltrators),” Varanasi Police conducted house-to-house checks in the Sigra locality on land reportedly linked to a Samajwadi Party leader. Officers detained over 500 Bengali-speaking residents for document verification, collecting details such as family size, purpose of residence, and ID proofs. However, during the exercise, police found that the residents were Indian citizens originally from West Bengal who had been living in the area for several years. Police officials stated that the drive was part of the seven-day “Operation Torch” to identify suspected illegal Bangladeshi or Rohingya migrants, and warned that action would be taken against anyone found with false or incomplete documentation.