नवीनतम
Bring back Bangladesh deportees, probe citizenship: SC
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Supreme Court on Tuesday verbally observed that the Union government should bring back residents of West Bengal who have been deported to Bangladesh on suspicion of being foreigners, as an interim measure, to allow them to plead their case regarding their nationality.
The top court emphasised that individuals who claim to be Indian citizens have the right to present their case, supported by documents, before the authorities. It urged the Union government to temporarily return the deported individuals so they can be heard and allow verification of the authenticity of their documents.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made the suggestion during a hearing, addressing a counsel representing the Union. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Sanjay Hegde appeared on behalf of the petitioners.
While acknowledging the justification for deporting an “illegal entrant” from Bangladesh, CJI Kant remarked, “If somebody has something to show you, that wait I belong to India, I am born and brought up here, and I am actually an Indian national, he has a right to plead before you.”
He also noted that there was substantial material on record, such as birth certificates and land holdings of close family members, that could serve as evidence of nationality. He pointed out that earlier, there had been inadequate inquiries before deportation.
“The allegation is that the deportee was never heard and you sent them. Why don't you, at least as a temporary measure, bring them back, give them an opportunity of hearing, verify all these documents or facts and take a holistic view," Live Law quoted the Chief Justice as saying.
The bench gave the counsel representing the Union government time until December 1 to receive instructions from the Centre on the matter.
Since May, thousands of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party have reportedly been rounded up and asked to prove their Indian citizenship, with some being declared foreigners and forcibly deported to Bangladesh, despite their claims of being Indian citizens.
