Shillong: The Meghalaya High Court ordered the state government to move all foreign nationals who finished their prison sentences to the MBoSE Hostel in Laitumkhrah. The deadline is September 28. Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh issued the order during a hearing on Monday.
The government previously proposed a site in Nongstoin, but the court rejected it. A new notification from the Home Department on September 17 designated the Laitumkhrah hostel as the temporary holding center. The building features three levels, six dormitories, and 60 beds. This capacity covers the roughly 30 foreign nationals currently held after overstaying their sentences.
Staffing plans include 26 administrative members, two cooks, eight security guards, and a full platoon for gate and tower duty. The facility also includes a medical team of four and 26 CCTV cameras. The court reviewed photographs of the site and confirmed it meets detention standards. Inspector General of Prisons directed all superintendents to finalize transfers before the deadline.
Nidhi Rani from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Kolkata reported via video link that repatriation efforts are already moving forward. "Deportation orders have been issued in four cases and repatriation is under way," Rani stated. Officials are now processing cases for two individuals from Myanmar, two from Nigeria, and one from Bangladesh who has been in custody for over five years.
The bench ordered legal counsel to present a plan for compensating those kept in prison beyond their sentences. The court will hear the case again on September 28.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 2:01pm
Court records identify the case as WP(C) No. 91 of 2026. Aside from the standard security and medical personnel, the state has confirmed the inclusion of fire safety equipment within the new facility.
During the proceedings, it was noted that the SP for Traffic is handling duties as the acting SP-cum-Foreigners Registration Officer, filling in while the regular FRO, Vivek Syiem, remains on medical leave. The Commissioner and Secretary of the Home (Political) Department also attended the hearing.
The court has explicitly ordered that state officials and the FRRO must submit a formal mechanism on how they plan to calculate and distribute compensation to those held past their release dates.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 2:16pm
Court records identify the case as WP(C) No. 91 of 2026. Aside from the standard security and medical personnel, the state has confirmed the inclusion of fire safety equipment within the new facility.
During the proceedings, it was noted that the SP for Traffic is handling duties as the acting SP-cum-Foreigners Registration Officer, filling in while the regular FRO, Vivek Syiem, remains on medical leave. The Commissioner and Secretary of the Home (Political) Department also attended the hearing.
The court has explicitly ordered that state officials and the FRRO must submit a formal mechanism on how they plan to calculate and distribute compensation to those held past their release dates.
Updated at 22nd September 2026 at 6:00pm
Court records identify the case as WP(C) No. 91 of 2026. The proceedings saw the Traffic Superintendent stepping in as the acting Foreigners Registration Officer since the regular appointee, Vivek Syiem, is on medical leave. The Commissioner and Secretary of the Home (Political) Department also attended the session.
State authorities confirmed the new detention center includes dedicated fire safety equipment alongside the previously reported security and medical infrastructure.
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