Calcutta HC directs release of man held at Indo-Bangla border

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed that a Murshidabad resident, detained by the Border Security Force (BSF) at the India-Bangladesh border earlier this week, be released to his father if proper documents are produced.

Petitioner Jiyem Sekh told the court that his son, Amir Sk., had left home in April 2024 to work as a construction labourer, first in Paradip, Odisha, and later in Sikar, Rajasthan. He claimed that on June 25, 2025, Rajasthan Police and BSF personnel conducted an identity verification drive at Amir’s worksite and forcibly detained him.

Sekh’s writ petition was affirmed before the High Court on August 12, 2025, and served on the authorities the same day. The following morning, he received a phone call from a person identifying himself as a BSF personnel, informing him that Amir had been caught on August 12 while attempting to enter India from Bangladesh.

Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumder, representing the Union government, told the bench that Amir had tried to cross into Indian territory from Bangladesh without valid identity papers and was intercepted by BSF personnel before being handed over to the Officer-in-Charge of Basirhat police station.

State Additional Government Pleader Swapan Banerjee submitted that no formal case had been registered against Amir. He assured the court that Amir would be released to his father if the petitioner approached police with the necessary documents and, if required, an undertaking.

The division bench of Justices Reetobroto Kumar Mitra and Tapabrata Chakraborty permitted the petitioner to add the Basirhat OC as a party in the case and fixed August 27 for further hearing. The court also directed the Basirhat OC and a senior BSF officer to file detailed reports on the incident, along with relevant documents, on the next date.