The Pune Police on Wednesday filed a case against seven persons for unlawful assembly after a Hindutva group allegedly barged into a house belonging to the family of a Kargil War veteran and accused them of being undocumented migrants from Bangladesh, the Hindustan Times reported.

The family claimed that a mob of about 80 persons allegedly affiliated to a Hindutva group forcibly entered their home on Saturday night and accused them of being “illegal” migrants.

Irshad Shaikh, whose elder brother Hakimuddin Shaikh served in the Indian Army during the 1999 Kargil War and currently lives in Uttar Pradesh, said that his family had been living in Pune for more than six decades, the newspaper reported.

“We tried to explain that our family has deep roots here, and several of us have served in the armed forces, but they continued hurling accusations,” the Hindustan Times quoted Irshad Shaikh as saying.

The mob abused the family and demanded to see Aadhaar and other identity documents to prove their Indian citizenship, the family claimed, adding that some of them alleged that their papers were fake. Women and children were also allegedly forced to produce documents.

Irshad Shaikh also claimed that two men in plainclothes had identified themselves as police officers but did not intervene when the mob allegedly harassed the family.

The family said that they were taken to the Chandannagar Police Station and made to wait for hours. Eventually, they were told to return the next day or risk being declared as “Bangladeshi nationals”.

After seeking support from social activists and lawyers, the family met Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Wednesday and demanded action against the mob, the Hindustan Times reported.

“He [Kumar] assured us that stringent action is being taken against anti-social elements,” the newspaper quoted Irshad Shaikh as saying.

Kumar told the Hindustan Times that a first information report had been filed for unlawful assembly.

“On receiving a call about suspected Bangladeshi nationals, police found people raising slogans outside the house,” he said. “The mob’s actions are under scrutiny, and based on fresh statements, more sections may be added or a separate FIR may be filed.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police Somay Munde also told The Indian Express that information had been received on Saturday about “suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals” in the area.

“So we went to the spot [on Saturday],” Munde said. “Some of their documents were checked and some were brought to the police station. They were released as it was getting late and were called back the next morning.”

The officer claimed that the action was taken at night “as sometimes in these combing operations suspects flee”.

Kumar also claimed that most police personnel were in uniform when the incident took place but did not rule out the possibility that some were in plainclothes. The family’s documents were verified and found to be in order, he added.

Irshad Shaikh said that his family had valid documents to prove their citizenship, adding: “If necessary, we can trace our citizenship back 400 years.”

He also told The Indian Express that his family had a 130-year history of serving in the Army.

“My own brother Hakimuddin joined the Bombay Sappers in 1982 in Pune and was posted across India after his training,” the newspaper quoted Irshad Shaikh as saying. “He fought in the Kargil War and retired in 2000. He resides in Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh.”

Meanwhile, Hakimuddin Shaikh told the Hindustan Times that it was “disheartening” that a family with a history of military service had to face such humiliation. “If required, I’ll personally speak to the authorities to seek accountability,” he added.

Since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Bengali-speaking migrant workers have been rounded up by the police in several states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party and asked to prove that they are Indian citizens.

In some cases, individuals who were mistakenly sent to Bangladesh returned to the country after state authorities in India proved that they were Indians.

In May, the Union home ministry directed the states and Union Territories to verify the credentials of persons suspected to be undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar.