Gauhati High Court Orders Assam and Centre to Locate Muslim Woman Deported to Bangladesh

The Gauhati High Court has called upon the Assam government and the Union Ministry of External Affairs to locate a Muslim woman who was expelled to Bangladesh earlier this year after being labeled a foreigner. This development follows a habeas corpus petition filed by her husband, Mujammel Hoque, who realized that his wife, Mumtaz Begum, had been forcibly removed from India without due process.

Mumtaz Begum was detained on May 30 when a foreigners tribunal, a quasi-judicial entity unique to Assam, ruled that she was not an Indian citizen. Subsequently, she was expelled from the country only two weeks later. Notably, Begum was reportedly not given a copy of the tribunal’s order, nor was she afforded an opportunity to contest the ruling, raising significant questions about the fairness of the proceedings.

A bench of Justices Kalyan Rai Surana and Pranjal Das expressed concern over Begum’s situation and emphasized that the authorities should make immediate efforts to ascertain her current location. The court’s directive highlighted the importance of ensuring due process and the need to protect the rights of individuals facing legal challenges regarding their citizenship status.

The next hearing in this case is scheduled for November 6, as the High Court had previously instructed the foreigners tribunal to reassess its earlier decision concerning Begum. In its earlier ruling, the court pointed out that the tribunal had not adequately considered all evidence presented by Begum before declaring her a foreigner, thereby questioning the legitimacy of its judgment.

This case underscores the ongoing complexities and controversies surrounding citizenship issues in Assam, particularly in the context of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Foreigners Tribunals, which have faced scrutiny for their handling of such sensitive matters. As the situation develops, it raises broader questions about the implications of citizenship laws and the rights of individuals amid rising nationalism in the region.

Source: scroll.in