Overview
- A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant suggested the Union bring the group back from Bangladesh on a temporary basis and provide an opportunity to be heard with document checks.
- The court cited birth certificates, land records and relatives’ statements indicating ties to Birbhum, observing that little inquiry was done before the removals.
- The Centre sought time and was asked to return with instructions by Monday as the Supreme Court considers its appeal against a Calcutta High Court order that quashed the deportations and directed repatriation.
- The six — including pregnant Sunali Khatun, her husband Danish Sekh and their minor son Sabir — were detained in Delhi on June 21, ordered deported on June 26, and remain in Bangladeshi custody, according to reports.
- While affirming that firm action against illegal entrants is justified, the bench emphasized due process for those asserting Indian citizenship as political criticism of the deportations intensified in West Bengal.