Archive · 8 Sep 2026
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.
The Gauhati High Court directed the Assam government to pay Rs 2 lakh after Jahanara Begum was deported to Bangladesh.
Jahanara Begum was declared a foreigner in 2019 and deported in June after being detained by the Border Police.
The court said authorities failed to provide her or an adult family member with the tribunal’s order before deportation.
The court had earlier set aside the tribunal’s decision and ordered a fresh review after finding that evidence from three witnesses was not considered.
A similar Rs 2 lakh compensation order was issued for Mumtaz Begum, marking the first such costs imposed on Assam for violating deportation rules.
- Who
- The Gauhati High Court, the Assam government, Jahanara Begum, Mumtaz Begum, and Assam’s foreigners tribunals are involved.
- What
- The court ordered Rs 2 lakh compensation in cases involving two women who were deported to Bangladesh and found that deportation procedures were violated.
- When
- The High Court issued the orders on Monday; Jahanara Begum was handed over and deported on June 13-14.
- Where
- The proceedings concerned Assam, India, and the women’s deportation to Bangladesh.
- Why
- The court found that authorities failed to provide Jahanara Begum or an adult family member with the tribunal’s order before deporting her, denying her a chance to challenge it.
- 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.
