New Delhi— The Supreme Court on Friday expressed concern over “half-baked truth” and “ill-informed commentary” on ongoing court cases, stating that such reporting can distort public perception but does not influence the judiciary. The remarks came during a hearing on the deportation of individuals sent to Bangladesh allegedly without following due process.
A Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi took note of a media report that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta described as “tabloid-like”. He said attempts were being made to create narratives meant to sway opinions, though he clarified that he had full faith in the court.
Justice Bagchi responded firmly, saying the judiciary is “completely immune from publicity and pseudo-publicity stunts,” adding that narratives must not affect the lives of individuals. CJI Surya Kant advised the law officer to ignore such reports but stressed that commentary based on distorted facts is harmful when a matter is still being heard.
The court was informed that Sunali Khatun, a pregnant woman earlier deported to Bangladesh, had returned to India with her eight-year-old son and was receiving medical care in Birbhum, West Bengal. The Bench scheduled the Centre’s appeal against the Calcutta High Court order for January 6.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal pointed out that immigration debates are global and often discussed openly in democratic countries as long as motives are not attributed. Meanwhile, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde highlighted the case of another deportee, Sweety Bibi, who remains stranded across the border with her family. He offered to present proof of their Indian citizenship and urged authorities to act on humanitarian grounds. The Solicitor General assured that verification would begin but may take time.
The case concerns families who lived as daily wagers in Delhi’s Rohini for nearly 20 years before being detained on June 18 and deported nine days later. The Calcutta High Court had earlier held that the deportation violated the Home Ministry’s own protocols, criticising what it described as “overenthusiasm” by authorities.
