The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to consider bringing back Sonali Khatun, a pregnant woman who was earlier pushed into Bangladesh after being labelled a foreigner. The court said that she should be allowed to return to India on humanitarian grounds, marking an important turn in a case that has drawn strong public attention.
A Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the matter on Monday. During the hearing, the court said clearly that Sonali Khatun, who is in an advanced stage of pregnancy, should be allowed entry into India. The Bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to take instructions from the government and respond. Mehta told the court that the government understood the court’s concern and would look into the matter, but he requested two days’ time to get proper instructions.
Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for Bhodu Sheikh, father of Sonali Khatun, informed the court that Sonali and her family were waiting on the Bangladesh side and wanted to return. He said that their deportation had already been declared illegal by the Calcutta High Court and that they were Indian citizens. He added that if the Centre allowed Sonali to return, her husband should also be allowed, as he could not be left behind. 
The Supreme Court said the Centre may allow Sonali and her child to enter India through the Indo-Bangladesh border at Malda in West Bengal and keep her under medical observation to prevent any complications due to her pregnancy. The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on December 3.
This case stems from the Centre’s appeal against a September 26 order of the Calcutta High Court. The High Court had set aside the deportation of Sonali Khatun and Sweety Bibi, both residents of Birbhum district in West Bengal, calling the deportation “illegal”. The High Court also directed the Centre to bring the deported families back to India within a month, rejecting the government’s request for a temporary stay.
According to the petitions filed before the High Court, Sonali Khatun, her husband Danesh Sheikh, and their five-year-old son were detained in Delhi in June this year. Another family from the same Birbhum locality faced a similar situation when Delhi Police allegedly detained and pushed them across the border. Both families had been living in Delhi’s Rohini area for over two decades, working as daily wage earners.
The petitioners claimed that the deportations were carried out in great hurry without proper inquiry. The High Court had earlier noted that, according to the Union Home Ministry’s memo, the deportation of Bangladesh or Myanmar nationals must follow detailed procedures, including a full inquiry by the state government. The court found that these procedures were not followed, and the authorities acted in “hot haste”.
The High Court also expressed concern that such overenthusiasm in deporting people could lead to serious misunderstandings and harm the judicial environment in the country.
