Ahmedabad : Lalla Bihari’s Crime Den Busted in Chandola Slums

Ahmedabad, Gujarat – What began as a routine anti-encroachment drive against the illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in Ahmedabad’s Chandola Lake area turned into a jaw-dropping revelation for the administration. The local civic body and police discovered not just shanties, but a sprawling underground empire built by Mehmud Pathan, alias Lalla Bihari, camouflaged in the heart of poverty.

Authorities had long believed that the area was a dense slum cluster. But when bulldozers moved in, what emerged stunned even the toughest officers. Hidden behind layers of grass and strategic construction was a luxurious farmhouse and bungalow, invisible even to Google Maps. Designed with only a front entrance in plain sight, the property was a fortress of criminal operations.

The mastermind, Lalla Bihari, and his son were arrested on Monday. Investigators uncovered damning documents, including lists of Bangladeshi nationals allegedly brought in illegally and detailed instructions on where to house them. The area, infamously dubbed ‘Mini Bangladesh’, had a striking number of Bangladeshi women, many of whom were allegedly forced into prostitution.

Police sources revealed that Bihari had turned Chandola into his personal kingdom. He ran an illegal finance racket, owned over 200 auto-rickshaws for rental income, and constructed play zones and slum shacks sold for Rs 2 lakh each. What was masked as urban poverty was in fact a highly organized criminal syndicate.

Bihari, already wanted in a 2018 forgery case and on the run after jumping parole, had managed to evade law enforcement for years. Previous complaints against him allegedly faced immense political and criminal pressure, delaying any real action.

According to JCP Crime Sharad Singhal, if the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) files a formal complaint, a land grabbing case will also be registered. Already, charges of forgery, prostitution, and human trafficking are being pursued against Bihari and his son.