Amid escalating pressure from the West Bengal government, the Union government informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday of its readiness to repatriate Sunali Khatun and her eight-year-old son on “humanitarian grounds.” This announcement comes months after the Indian authorities unlawfully expelled them to Bangladesh, asserting they were illegal migrants.
On June 26, Indian forces forcibly deported Sunali Bibi, her husband Danish Sheikh, and their young son at gunpoint from New Delhi to Bangladesh, alongside another family. During this incident, the expecting mother was separated from her four-year-old daughter, who remained in India.
The West Bengal government maintains that Sunali and her family are Indian citizens who were wrongly deported as part of a broader initiative targeting Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta communicated the central government’s willingness to facilitate the return of Sunali and her son to a bench consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. This bench was examining a petition from the Union government contesting a Calcutta High Court ruling that annulled the deportation, stating that the authorities acted in “hot haste” and violated constitutional protections.
The Supreme Court bench raised significant questions about Sunali’s nationality. Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that if her biological father is an Indian citizen and has not been deported, there is insufficient basis for labeling Sunali as Bangladeshi.
Sunali’s father, Bhodu Sekh, informed Maktoob in August that his daughter and her family, permanent residents of Birbhum district, were detained in New Delhi during an “identity verification drive” on June 24 and deported two days later without due process.
Indian law stipulates that Sunali automatically qualifies for Indian citizenship through her father, making her son an Indian citizen as well.
The Court directed the chief medical officer of Birbhum in West Bengal to ensure all necessary medical facilities are available to Sunali, given her pregnancy, and instructed the state government to provide care for the child.
Samirul Islam, a Rajya Sabha MP and chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Workers’ Welfare Board, expressed optimism on social media, saying, “After a long wait, justice has finally prevailed. The Central Government has agreed, on humanitarian grounds, to bring back pregnant Sunali Khatun and her minor son.” He asserted that her illegal deportation to Bangladesh was solely due to her speaking Bengali and highlighted the ongoing issues faced by Bengali-speaking citizens under BJP governance.
Research by the Calcutta Research Group and Know Your Neighbour indicates that at least 30 individuals from West Bengal have been arbitrarily expelled to Bangladesh, with many later repatriated after state intervention and document verification.
The Court has scheduled the matter for further consideration on December 12.
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