Pregnant woman deported to B'desh returns
Kolkata, Dec. 6 -- A pregnant woman, who was deported to Bangladesh earlier this year along with her minor son, returned to India through the Mahadipur border in West Bengal's Malda district on Friday, days after the Supreme Court directed the Centre to bring her back on humanitarian grounds.
Officials at the border said that the legal procedures to let Sunali Khatun and her eight-year-old son Sabir to enter India was completed on Friday evening. After the two entered India, Sunali was rushed to Malda Medical College and Hospital for examination as she is in an advanced stage of pregnancy.
"If doctors declare her fit for travel, then Sunali and her son will be taken to their village in the Paikar area of Birbhum as soon as possible," a police officer aware of the details said on anonymity.
Sunali, her husband and son, and three members of another family were deported to Bangladesh in June on orders from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), days after they were picked up from Delhi's Rohini area on suspicion that they were illegal immigrants.
In September, the Calcutta high court directed the Union government to bring back the six individuals deported to Bangladesh and that they receive an opportunity to prove their Indian citizenship. The Centre later moved the Supreme Court against the high court's directive.
On December 1, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to consider a temporary return for Sunali after being informed that she was pregnant when deported.
The bench had then remarked: "We are treating this on humanitarian grounds. You take instructions and let us know by Wednesday."...
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