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On Humanitarian Grounds Centre Agrees to Temporary Entry Under Surveillance, Citizenship Claim Disputed
New Delhi: In a significant humanitarian intervention, the Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted the entry of a pregnant woman and her eight-year-old child into India, months after they were allegedly pushed across the border into Bangladesh. The relief was granted after the Union government informed the court that it was allowing their return purely on compassionate grounds.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the West Bengal government to ensure the safety and care of the minor and instructed the Chief Medical Officer of Birbhum district to provide all necessary medical assistance to the pregnant woman, identified as Sunali Khatun.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, submitted that while the competent authority had agreed to their entry on humanitarian grounds, both would remain under official surveillance. The Bench noted that they would eventually be brought back to Delhi, from where they were earlier picked up and deported.
Family Seeks Return of Others, Government Maintains “Bangladeshi National” Stand
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Sanjay Hegde urged the court to also facilitate the return of other family members, including Sunali’s husband, who remain in Bangladesh. They argued that the family had been residing and working in Delhi for over two decades and were wrongfully deported without due verification.
However, the Solicitor General maintained that the Union government would contest their claim of being Indian citizens. He asserted that authorities consider them Bangladeshi nationals and clarified that the current permission was granted solely for humanitarian reasons.
According to the woman’s father, the family, which worked as daily-wage labourers in Rohini’s Sector-26 area of Delhi, was picked up by police on June 18 on suspicion of being illegal immigrants and pushed across the border on June 27. The case has once again brought focus on deportation procedures, due process, and the humanitarian risks involved when women and children are affected.
