Supreme Court orders return of pregnant woman, child deported to Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds
Her family, which worked as daily wage labourers in Delhi’s Rohini Sector 26 for more than two decades, was detained on June 18 on suspicion of being illegal immigrants
PTC Web Desk: In a significant humanitarian intervention, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that a pregnant woman, Sunali Khatun, and her eight-year-old son, who were deported to Bangladesh earlier this year, be allowed to re-enter India. The order came months after the mother and child were allegedly pushed across the border following their detention by the Delhi Police.
A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi ordered the West Bengal government to ensure the safety and welfare of the minor and to provide immediate and comprehensive medical care to Sunali through the Chief Medical Officer of Birbhum district.
The Centre, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, informed the court that the “competent authority” had decided to permit their return solely on humanitarian grounds, while maintaining that the family’s claim of Indian citizenship remains disputed. Mehta added that the mother and child would be kept under surveillance and that their re-entry would not prejudice the government's stand that they are Bangladeshi nationals.
The Bench noted that once the formalities are completed, Sunali and her son will be transported back to Delhi, from where they were originally picked up and later deported.
During the hearing, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Sanjay Hegde urged the court to consider the plight of other family members, including Sunali’s husband, who are reportedly still in Bangladesh. They requested that the Centre seek instructions on bringing them back as well.
Sunali’s father has alleged that the families, who worked as daily wage labourers in Delhi’s Rohini Sector 26 for more than two decades, were detained on June 18 on suspicion of being illegal immigrants. They were allegedly pushed across the border on June 27, despite insisting they were Indian citizens.
The Supreme Court observed that “there are situations where the law must yield to humanitarian concerns,” while stressing that the citizenship issue would be examined separately.