Centre should bring back persons deported to Bangladesh for hearing on nationality: Supreme Court
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday verbally observed that the Union government should bring back residents of West Bengal who have been deported to Bangladesh on suspicion of being foreigners, as an interim measure, to allow them to plead their case regarding their nationality.
The top court emphasised that individuals who claim to be Indian citizens have the right to present their case, supported by documents, before the authorities. It urged the Union government to temporarily return the deported individuals so they can be heard and allow verification of the authenticity of their documents.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made the suggestion during a hearing, addressing a counsel representing the Union. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Sanjay Hegde appeared on behalf of the petitioners.
While acknowledging the justification for deporting an “illegal entrant” from Bangladesh, CJI Kant remarked, “If somebody has something to show you, that wait I belong to India, I am born and brought up here, and I am actually an Indian national, he has a right to plead before you.”
He also noted that there was substantial material on record, such as birth certificates and land holdings of close family members, that could serve as evidence of nationality. He pointed out that earlier, there had been inadequate inquiries before deportation.
“The allegation is that the deportee was never heard and you sent them. Why don't you, at least as a temporary measure, bring them back, give them an opportunity of hearing, verify all these documents or facts and take a holistic view," Live Law quoted the Chief Justice as saying.
The bench gave the counsel representing the Union government time until December 1 to receive instructions from the Centre on the matter.
Since May, thousands of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party have reportedly been rounded up and asked to prove their Indian citizenship, with some being declared foreigners and forcibly deported to Bangladesh, despite their claims of being Indian citizens.
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55-bed free palliative care centre to open near Bengaluru’s Nelamangala
Bengaluru: A new 55-bed palliative care centre for terminally ill patients, named the Nemmadi Centre for Palliative Care, will be inaugurated near Nelamangala on Sunday. The facility will offer all services completely free of cost.
According to a report published by Deccan Herald on Saturday, the centre has been set up by the Sukruthi Charitable Trust in collaboration with Rotary Bangalore Midtown. Around Rs 20 crore has been invested in the project, which will operate without a billing counter, ensuring that families do not have to pay for treatment.
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The centre will provide comprehensive palliative care, including medical support, counselling for patients and their families, and bereavement care. The facility aims to help families cope with the physical and emotional challenges of caring for terminally ill patients.
“A cornerstone of the project was the generous donation of land by former MLC E Krishnappa, which made the centre possible,” DH quoted Palani Loganathan as saying.
The inauguration ceremony will be attended by Madhusudan Sai, founder of the Sri Madhusudan Sai Global Humanitarian Mission, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Rajya Sabha MP Dr C.N. Manjunath who also serves as the chief medical advisor to the centre will also be present, along with several senior government officials and healthcare leaders.
