New Delhi, Aug 9 - The Union government was today severely pulled up by a Delhi court for its failure to act against three crore illegal Bangladeshi migrants, staying here and enjoying the privileges meant for Indian citizens.

The court made the stinging remarks while awarding life sentence and 10 years in prison to two Bangladeshi nationals respectively in a case of dacoity-cum-murder bid.

"Our country has become a haven for all these criminal elements who are most ruthless and brutal with anybody who come in their way.

"While the genuine citizens of this country continue to suffer in abject poverty, what is it that prevents a firm, resolute, intense government action against these three crores Bangladeshi nationals illegally staying in India, enjoying all benefits which are otherwise the entitlements of citizens," said Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Kamini Lau.

"It is this lack of concerted governmental/administrative action which has compelled the courts of law to step in," she added.

The court sentenced Bangladeshi national Jahangir to life term and Mohammed Karim to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each of the duo.

The judge said a large number of crimes have come to light where Bangladeshi nationals were involved in heinous offences such as robberies, dacoities, murder and rape.

"Bangladeshi influx is one of the major challenges being faced by our country in recent times and is a matter of national concern. This serious issue requires urgent political debate, governmental intervention and concerted action, before it becomes a little too late," the court said.

The case dated back to February 8, 2011 when a gang of seven dacoits, most of them of Bangladeshi origin, entered a house in Ashok Vihar area in night and attacked the inmates when they resisted their dacoity bid.

Victim Raj Kumari, in whose house accused had entered, told the court they were carrying pistols and knives and when she and her family raised alarm, they started beating them, gave knife blows causing injuries to them and fled with several valuables.

The police said out of the seven, three were nabbed from Anand Vihar, one of whom was acquitted by the court.

While sentencing the duo, the court said these criminals of Bangladeshi origin regularly cross over to India in large numbers taking advantage of the "porous" borders and terrain and escape back with the booty which they rob Indians of.

"It pains me to observe that most of the time the administration is helpless. It is the citizens of this country who have the first right over its resources.

"In a nation fragmenting under economic, religious, caste and other divides, these criminals find it very easy to make a place for themselves by conveniently integrating with the local population without the citizens having to suspect their intent. They come, plunder and go and this has become regular affair having a definite crime pattern," ASJ Lau said.

The court clarified that the sentence in the case would run consecutively and not concurrent to the jail term already imposed upon the convicts in other cases.

"After completion of the period of sentence the convicts be handed over to the competent authority / FRRO who shall initiate proceedings for their deportation," it said.

The court refused to show leniency to Jahangir and Karim, who have several other criminal cases pending against them.

Undue sympathy to these "ruthless infiltrators" who are the members of professional gang of dacoits having no emotional attachment to the citizens of India would be misplaced, said the court.

The judge, in her judgement, also referred to an order of the Delhi High Court wondering how ration cards were being issued to illegal migrants and observed that subsidised food grains were to be supplied to the needy Indians and not to the illegal migrants.

"Despite these observations and recommended action, nothing much appears to have changed on the ground," the judge said. PTI