SC order on Sunali Khatun’s return ‘another humiliating blow for Centre’

Kolkata: The political row over the deportation of Birbhum resident Sunali Khatun intensified on Tuesday after the Trinamool Congress accused the BJP-led Centre of “barbaric, illegal and unconstitutional” conduct, after the Supreme Court is learnt to have orally observed that the Union government should bring Sunali Khatun and her family back from Bangladesh before examining their citizenship status.

In a post on X, the TMC alleged that the Centre had “thrown a pregnant Bengali woman out of her own country” within 72 hours and accused Delhi Police of pushing Khatun and five others across the border “on mere suspicion”. Calling it “state-sponsored ethnic cleansing”, the party said the Supreme Court’s direction marked “yet another humiliating blow” for the government.

The comments came as a Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the Centre’s appeal against the Calcutta High Court order that set aside the deportation and instructed authorities to facilitate the group’s return. When Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought time, saying the government was not prepared for an immediate hearing, the Bench is learnt to have refused and made it clear that the family must be brought back first, adding that immigration questions could be examined later.

The court noted that preliminary records such as birth certificates strongly indicated that Khatun and the others were residents of Birbhum in West Bengal. “These aspects can be looked into subsequently. Their return is the priority,” the CJI reportedly said.

Khatun, her husband, Danish Sheikh, their eight-year-old son Sabir, and Sweety Bibi with her two sons were detained in Delhi’s Rohini on June 21 on suspicion of being illegal Bangladeshi entrants. Five days later, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) issued deportation orders, and they were pushed across the border the same day. They were later arrested in Bangladesh for illegal entry and remain in custody.

The Calcutta High Court had quashed the FRRO’s order and directed the Centre to coordinate with Dhaka to bring them back within four weeks, a process that had not started when the deadline lapsed. The Supreme Court will hear the matter again next Monday.