New Delhi: Four residents of West Bengal’s Birbhum district returned to India through the Mahadipur Integrated Check Post in Malda after the Supreme Court intervened in a case involving their alleged wrongful deportation to Bangladesh.
Administrative officials said Sweety Bibi, her two minor children and Danish Sheikh entered India on Wednesday. Sonali Khatun, another member of the family, had returned in December last year following a court order.
According to family members, Delhi Police detained the group on June 22 last year while they were working as hawkers in the national capital. Relatives alleged the family came under suspicion after speaking Bengali. They claimed the group was taken to Assam and later pushed into Bangladesh despite being Indian citizens.
The family challenged the action through the courts. The legal battle reached the Supreme Court, which directed their return to India.
A relative of Sweety Bibi said the family remained imprisoned in Bangladesh for a long period before the court ordered their repatriation. Sweety Bibi’s brother, Aamir Khan, expressed relief after the family’s return and said they were detained because they spoke Bengali.
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam described the development as a victory for truth and justice. He said the return allowed the family to reunite after months of separation. He also praised the Indian judiciary, stating that the Supreme Court’s intervention made their return possible.
The MP stated that action against illegal immigration should not result in genuine Indian citizens facing wrongful deportation. He said the Supreme Court directed authorities on May 22 to facilitate the group’s return from Bangladesh.
Islam also thanked advocates Sanjay Hegde, Soumya Dutt and Raghunath Chakraborty for representing the families during the legal proceedings. He expressed hope that no Indian citizen would face a similar experience in the future.
