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Calcutta HC Asks Bengal Govt About 1970s Border Crossings In Deportation Case
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News18•08-10-2026, 17:00
Calcutta HC Asks Bengal Govt About 1970s Border Crossings In Deportation Case
- •The Calcutta High Court asked the West Bengal government how many people crossed the India-Bangladesh border in the 1970s and if it is practical to deport them all.
- •The court was hearing a petition by Sahidul Shekh challenging his detention and deportation orders by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office.
- •Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya questioned the basis for identifying Shekh as a Bangladeshi national and detaining him for over two months without due process.
- •The court noted that Shekh possessed valid Indian identification documents including Aadhaar and voter identity cards.
- •The high court directed that the deportation order against Shekh remain in abeyance and transferred the case to the appropriate bench for further hearing.
Key Questions Answered
While hearing a petition challenging the detention and deportation of a man alleged to be a Bangladeshi national, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya asked the state government how many people crossed the Indo-Bangladesh border in the 1970s and if it was practically possible to deport all of them.
Sahidul Shekh possessed Aadhaar and voter identity cards, which prompted the court to ask how an alleged Bangladeshi national could hold them. The state argued that these documents had been obtained using forged certificates issued by a local panchayat.
The Calcutta High Court directed that the deportation order against Sahidul Shekh would remain in abeyance until the matter is heard by the appropriate bench on October 14.
