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New Delhi: The Supreme Court has allowed a pregnant woman and her 8-year-old child, who were forcibly sent to Bangladesh, to come to India on humanitarian grounds. The Supreme Court was hearing the Centre's petition, which was filed against the September 26 order of the Calcutta High Court. In that order, the government's move to deport Sunali Khatoon, Sweety Bibi and their families to Bangladesh by declaring them illegal immigrants was cancelled.

Court said- West Bengal should take care of minor child

The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing this petition. The bench directed the West Bengal government to take care of the minor child. The court also directed the Chief Medical Officer of Birbhum district to ensure that Khatoon gets full medical help including free delivery.

The bench took note of the statement of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, which said that the concerned authority has agreed to allow the woman and the child to enter India only on humanitarian grounds, which will not affect any of their rights, and they will be kept under observation. The Supreme Court had last day asked the Center to consider allowing them to enter the country on the condition that they remain under surveillance.

The Supreme Court had earlier asked Mehta to take instructions on whether Khatoon, who is in the last stages of pregnancy, should be allowed to enter India through the India-Bangladesh border at Malda in West Bengal. The woman's father told that his family had been living as daily wage laborers in Rohini Sector 26 of Delhi for more than two decades. On June 18, the police detained him on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi citizen. Later Sunali, her husband Danish Shaikh and their son were detained and sent to Bangladesh on June 27.

Senior lawyers Kapil Sibal and Sanjay Hegde appeared in the court on behalf of Khatoon's father. He demanded that instructions should also be sought for the return of others, including Khatoon's husband, who are still in Bangladesh and this would be subject to the Centre's instructions. The Solicitor General argued that he would challenge their claim of Indian citizenship, arguing that the family were Bangladeshi citizens and the government's decision to allow the woman and child into the country was purely on humanitarian grounds. The court has fixed December 10 for further hearing in this case.