Centre tells SC it will bring back deported individuals for citizenship review

The Centre on Friday (May 22) informed the Supreme Court that it will bring back certain individuals who were earlier deported to Bangladesh following which their citizenship status would be determined before further action.

Centre’s assurance before SC

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta made the submission before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi.

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The development took place during the hearing of the Centre’s petition challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order directing the Government to repatriate certain Bengali-speaking individuals who were deported to Bangladesh following suspicion over their citizenship.

Govt says move is case-specific

"My instructions are, the Government will bring them back, and thereafter will examine their status, and depending on the outcome, will take steps accordingly," Mehta submitted as quoted by Live Law.

At this point, senior advocate Advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the respondents, urged that the Solicitor General’s statement be recorded to which Mehta agreed stating that it can be recorded under the condition it was being made in the peculiar facts of the case and cannot be regarded as a precedent.

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"The Solicitor General of India submits that keeping in view the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, and by not treating it as a precedent to be followed in other instances, the Government of India has decided to bring the respondents back to India and to verify the claim of Indian citizenship. Their continuation in India will depend on the outcome of such enquiry,” the bench stated in its order.

The Solicitor General further informed the court that the process of bringing the individuals back could take around eight to 10 days.

Calcutta HC directions

The matter stems from directions issued by the Calcutta High Court in September 2025 while hearing habeas corpus pleas moved by family members of persons who had been deported. In one of the petitions, the High Court had directed the authorities to facilitate the return of Sunali Khatun, her husband Danish Sekh and their son Sabir Sekh.

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In a separate matter, similar directions were issued in relation to Sweety Bibi and her sons, Kurban and Imam.

Earlier humanitarian consideration

Earlier, in December last year, the Union had agreed on humanitarian considerations to bring Sunali Khatun, who was pregnant at the time, and her son back to India. During proceedings held in November last year, the Supreme Court had also suggested that the Union consider bringing the individuals back in order to examine their claims of Indian citizenship.