New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that a pregnant woman and her eight-year-old child—reportedly sent across the border into Bangladesh earlier this year—be allowed to re-enter India, granting relief on humanitarian considerations.
SC directs West Bengal authorities to extend medical care
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi instructed the West Bengal government to ensure the safety and welfare of the child and asked the Chief Medical Officer of Birbhum district to provide comprehensive medical support to the woman, identified as Sunali Khatun.
The court was informed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the Union government had agreed to allow the duo back into India strictly on humanitarian grounds. He added that they would be placed under surveillance upon entry.
Family to be brought back to Delhi
The Bench said that after their return, Sunali and her child would eventually be taken back to Delhi, from where they were initially detained before allegedly being deported. Their case has brought renewed focus on the handling of persons suspected to be undocumented migrants.
Lawyers flag concerns over others stranded across the border
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that several other members of the family—including Sunali’s husband—remain in Bangladesh and sought the Centre’s intervention to facilitate their return as well.
Mehta, however, maintained that the Centre disputes their claim of Indian citizenship, asserting that they are Bangladeshi nationals. He emphasised that the permission granted to Sunali and her child should not be treated as an acknowledgment of citizenship but purely a humanitarian exception.
Family alleges forced deportation
Sunali’s father has alleged that the family had been working as daily-wage labourers in Delhi’s Rohini Sector 26 for more than twenty years before being detained on June 18 on suspicion of being illegal migrants. According to him, the group was taken to the border and pushed into Bangladesh on June 27.
Case highlights broader concerns
The incident has raised questions about verification procedures, deportation practices and the legal rights of long-time residents accused of being foreign nationals. With the Supreme Court now monitoring the case, the focus will shift to establishing the family’s legal status and determining whether further members can be reunited in India.
