India Supreme Court Orders Repatriation of Pregnant Woman and Son from Bangladesh

The Supreme Court of India directed the central government on Wednesday to repatriate a pregnant woman and her eight-year-old son from Bangladesh, following their deportation from India earlier this year on suspicion of being undocumented immigrants. Sunali Khatun and her son, Sabir, who claim Indian citizenship, will be brought back on humanitarian grounds and pending verification of their status, with the court emphasizing the need for compassion in such cases.

The decision came during a hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who recorded assurances from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the government would facilitate the return without prejudice to its ongoing claims regarding their nationality. Khatun, who is in an advanced stage of pregnancy, was arrested along with her family in Delhi's Rohini area on June 20, where they had been working as daily wage laborers. Six days later, on June 26, Indian authorities deported her, her husband Danish Sk, and son to Bangladesh through official channels at the Malda border, citing their lack of documentation.

Khatun maintains that she is the daughter of Bhodu Sekh, an Indian citizen...