SC closes Centre's pleas after deported persons brought back from Bangladesh

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday disposed of a batch of petitions filed by the Centre challenging a Calcutta High Court order directing the repatriation to India of certain Bengali-speaking persons who had been sent to Bangladesh after being suspected of being foreigners.

Key points

• The high court had directed the Centre to facilitate the return of six persons, including Sunali Khatun, Danish Sheikh, Sabir Sheikh, Sweety Bibi, Kurban and Imam.
• The Supreme Court had earlier intervened in the case involving Sunali Khatun, allowing her and her eight-year-old son to enter India on humanitarian grounds.
• Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for some of the respondents, acknowledged the development and thanked Mehta for his intervention in resolving the matter.
• "Since the individuals had returned, there was consequently no reason to keep the proceedings pending, " the bench remarked while disposing of the petitions.
• The administration had stated their citizenship status would be examined after their return.

For context, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana recorded the Centre's submission that the individuals had been brought back to India "as a special case".

"Since the individuals had returned, there was consequently no reason to keep the proceedings pending, " the bench remarked while disposing of the petitions. It, nevertheless, clarified that the legal questions arising from the case would remain open.

For context, the development followed an undertaking given by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta before the Supreme Court in May that the Centre would bring back the individuals on humanitarian grounds and subsequently verify their citizenship claims.

Meanwhile, the case arose from directions issued by the Calcutta High Court in September 2025 on habeas corpus petitions filed by relatives of individuals who had allegedly been detained and sent to Bangladesh on suspicion of being foreign nationals.

Meanwhile, the high court had directed the Centre to facilitate the return of six persons, including Sunali Khatun, Danish Sheikh, Sabir Sheikh, Sweety Bibi, Kurban and Imam.

In May, the Centre had informed the Supreme Court that the decision to bring the individuals back would be taken in view of the "peculiar facts and circumstances" of the case and would not be treated as a precedent in other matters. The administration had stated their citizenship status would be examined after their return.

In practice, the Supreme Court had earlier intervened in the case involving Sunali Khatun, allowing her and her eight-year-old son to enter India on humanitarian grounds. Khatun was pregnant at the time.

With the individuals now back in India, the Supreme Court remarked no further orders were required in the pending pleas and disposed of the batch while leaving the questions of law open.

For now, SC closes Centre' s pleas after deported persons brought back from Bangladesh remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.