The Calcutta High Court on Friday has directed the Chief Secretaries of West Bengal and Delhi to coordinate and take immediate steps regarding the alleged illegal detention and cross-border deportation of six migrant workers from Birbhum. The matter was brought before a division bench comprising Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Ritabrata Kumar Mitra, who instructed all concerned parties, including the Union Home Ministry, to conduct a detailed inquiry and file affidavits by Wednesday.
The controversy stems from the arrest of six Bengali-speaking migrant workers in Delhi’s Rohini area. Advocate Raghunath Chakraborty, representing the petitioners, informed the court that these workers were allegedly detained without due process and “pushbacked” to Bangladesh in violation of legal protocols.
During the hearing, Justice Chakraborty noted, “In a habeas corpus matter, the court has the authority to summon reports from the Central Government and demand an official explanation.”
Also read: TMC leader shot and stabbed to death near Kolkata in Bhangar
This case comes on the heels of a similar incident involving migrant workers from Bengal detained in Odisha. The same division bench had, just a day earlier, instructed West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to communicate with his Odisha counterpart to clarify the situation surrounding the alleged harassment and detention of workers there.
The court has now sought detailed responses from the Odisha government through its Chief Secretary on several crucial points which include reasons for detaining migrant workers from Bengal, details of the specific charges against them, steps have been taken since their detention and current status of the detainees.
Both incidents have raised serious concerns about the treatment of migrant workers from Bengal in other states and prompted the High Court to intervene proactively to ensure transparency, legal compliance, and protection of citizens’ rights.
The matter will be heard again on next week’s Wednesday following submission of the affidavits.
Follow us
