Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court is demanding answers. Justices Kalyan Rai Surana and Pranjal Das ordered the Assam government to produce the exact dates and times the Nagaon Foreigners’ Tribunal issued opinions against Jahanara Begum and Mumtaz Begum. These two women were deported to Bangladesh while their legal challenges remained active in court.
The court set a strict deadline. If the state fails to provide the timeline, the bench will presume the opinions "were not made ready within the appropriate time" before the women entered police custody. Both women are currently missing. The Ministry of External Affairs told the court they are still searching for them, though they required additional time to track their locations.
Mumtaz Begum, 43, was declared a foreign national by the Foreigners’ Tribunal, 4th Nagaon, at Juria. Border Security Force officers transferred her to Bangladesh through the Kalaincherra area of Cachar district on the night of June 13 and 14. The court ordered the state to pay Rs 2 lakh in interim compensation to her husband, Mujammel Hoque, because she was deported without notifying her family.
The case has triggered a massive political fight. The opposition AIUDF filed a police complaint against BJP candidate Devashish Sharma, who served as the Nagaon deputy commissioner during the events. Meanwhile, the Assam Congress contacted External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for help locating the women. Bangladeshi authorities reportedly started searching for Mumtaz in September following media pressure.
Comments