In the Pahalgam massacre, terrorists claimed her husband’s life just four days ago. Now, she is facing another threat of losing her citizenship.
Sohini, wife of Florida-based tech professional Bitan Adhikari, has come under the scrutiny after her brother-in-law, Bibhu Adhikari, raised serious doubts regarding the legitimacy of her Indian citizenship.
“She is a Bangladeshi national who has been residing in India illegally. Her passport has already been revoked. A criminal case is pending at Netaji Nagar police station accusing her of forgery and cheating. She concealed her Bangladeshi identity to marry my brother. We possess irrefutable evidence to substantiate all these claims,” alleged Bibhu, a practising lawyer.
The case (No. 56/2023) lodged against Sohini on February 24, 2023 with Netaji Nagar police station, under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code —including 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged documents as genuine) — as well as the Passport Act and Foreigners Act , is currently being heard at Alipore Court.
Investigations by the NAI have unearthed troubling details from Sohini’s past. According to sources in Bangladesh, Sohini — then bearing the surname Roy — used a Bangladeshi passport (No. U653943) to travel to India twice, in 2006 and 2008. She pursued her education at a private engineering college in Sonarpur, South 24 Parganas,
Subsequently, Sohini joined Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), where she met Bitan. They married in 2017, after which Sohini, armed with an Indian passport, moved to the United States. However, her past soon caught up with her — the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata impounded her passport in 2023, compelling her to leave Florida in the same year in January.
Records from Bangladesh further identify Sohini as the daughter of Shanti Roy, born on March 5, 1989, at 171, Adhhahkshya Jogendranath Sarani, Narayanganj City Corporation, Greater Dhaka.
Facing mounting threats to her legal status, Sohini applied for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) provisions in November 2024 which is yet to get any response.
Bibhu has intensified his accusations, branding Sohini an "international fraud," alleging that she possesses dual birth certificates and forged Indian identification documents, including a counterfeit Aadhaar card and voter ID. He further claimed that Sohini’s mother, Bharati Roy, also resided illegally in Kolkata until she fled back to Bangladesh sortly after Sohini’s passport was impounded.
The Adhikari family contends that the Patuli property where Sohini currently resides with her three-year-old son was fraudulently acquired through forged documentation. The property, allegedly purchased under Bharati Roy’s name, was later transferred to Sohini without legal standing.
“Sohini holds no rightful ownership over the property,” Bibhu asserted.
Efforts to reach Sohini for comment proved futile. When reporters visited her Patuli residence on Saturday, the household refused full access, citing her deteriorating mental and physical condition. A man identifying himself as her elder brother briefly stated that the accusations were “baseless” and that Sohini was in no condition to respond.
Since her return to Kolkata, Sohini has been visited by leaders across the political spectrum. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, accompanied by Agnimitra Paul, met Sohini and later claimed she had disclosed that her husband was targeted for his Hindu identity. Upon arriving at the airport, Sohini broke down in tears and confided in Suvendu that she had returned relying on his assurances. In an effort to console her, Suvendu promised to fulfil whatever she needed.
Bibhu has also filed formal objections to Sohini receiving any state compensation as Bitan’s widow. “If her Indian citizenship is invalid, she cannot be entitled to any benefits following my brother’s death,” he argued. “Any financial aid should rightfully go to Bitan’s grieving parents, not to someone who stands accused of serious fraud.”
He expressed particular concern for his three-year-old son, an American citizen now caught in a vortex of legal and national identity conflicts.
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