2 hrs ago

Gauhati High Court Orders Assam Compensation for Deportation

A court in Assam said officials treated two women unfairly when they were sent to Bangladesh.

One woman, Jahanara Begum, had been called a foreigner by a special tribunal.

The court said she and her family were not given the tribunal’s decision before she was deported.

Without that document, she could not properly challenge the decision in court.

The High Court later found that important witness evidence had not been considered.

It ordered Assam to pay Rs 2 lakh to Jahanara’s son.

The court made a similar order for another woman, Mumtaz Begum.

These are the first cases in which the court has ordered Assam to pay costs for breaking deportation rules.

Key facts

Compensation: Rs 2 lakh was ordered for Jahanara Begum’s son, with a similar amount ordered for Mumtaz Begum.
Jahanara Begum’s status: A foreigners tribunal declared her a foreigner in 2019.
Deportation: The Border Security Force said Jahanara was handed over by the Border Police on June 13 and deported during the night of June 13-14.
Court finding: Authorities did not provide Jahanara or an adult family member with the tribunal’s order before deportation.
Earlier High Court ruling: In April, the court set aside the tribunal’s decision and sent the case back for a fresh decision.
Evidence issue: The court found that the tribunal had failed to consider evidence from three of four witnesses.
Tribunal citizenship decisions: Assam’s tribunals stripped about 1,30,000 people of Indian citizenship over the last four years, according to the article.

scroll.in · 2 hrs ago

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