Centre agrees to bring back some deported individuals from Bangladesh
What's the story
The Union government has agreed to bring back certain individuals who were deported to Bangladesh to determine their citizenship status, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court on Friday. The SC bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, was hearing the Centre's petition challenging the Calcutta High Court's order to repatriate some Bengali-speaking individuals sent to Bangladesh on suspicion of their citizenship.
Citizenship verification
'Peculiar facts and circumstances'
SG Mehta assured the court that the government would bring back these individuals and examine their citizenship status. He stressed that this decision was based on "peculiar facts and circumstances of the case" and should not be treated as a precedent. The SG said it could take 8-10 days to bring them back. The court said that "their continuation in India will depend on the outcome of...an inquiry.
Deportation controversy
Calcutta HC set aside Union government's decision
The Calcutta High Court had earlier set aside the Union government's decision to deport one Sunali Khatun and others to Bangladesh, calling it "illegal." The court ordered their return within a month and rejected the government's plea for a stay. This came after habeas corpus petitions were filed by relatives of those deported, alleging they were wrongfully pushed into Bangladesh on suspicion of being illegal immigrants.
Humanitarian intervention
SC allowed Khatun, child to enter India on humanitarian grounds
In December 2025, the SC allowed Khatun and her eight-year-old child to enter India on humanitarian grounds. The court had asked West Bengal authorities to provide necessary medical assistance to Khatun, who was pregnant at the time. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Sanjay Hegde had earlier argued that it was unfair for the Centre not to inform the court about its stance in this matter.
Deportation process
Deportation process conducted in haste, violated protocols: HC
The Calcutta High Court had observed that the deportation process was conducted in haste and violated official protocols. "The detainees have their relations residing in the State of West Bengal...the kind of overenthusiasm in deporting the detainees, as visible herein, is susceptible to misunderstanding and disturbs the judicial climate in the country," the court stated. In an earlier hearing in November, the Supreme Court had also suggested to the Union to bring back the persons to verify their citizenship claims.