09-07-2025
Migrant row: Relatives of two Birbhum families file habeas corpus petition in Calcutta HC
The relatives of two migrant families from Birbhum district, detained by Delhi police and allegedly pushed into Bangladesh, on Tuesday filed a habeas corpus writ petition with the Calcutta High Court.
The plea, filed on behalf of the missing families, will be heard on Wednesday by a division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra, according to lawyers representing the relatives of the two families.
'We have appealed that the family members be found and brought before the court,' said Sabnam Sultana, advocate for the petitioners.
Samirul Islam, chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Labour Welfare Board, said the state administration is pressing the Centre and BSF to trace the two failies and ensure their safe return. 'We are with the families. On one hand we are knocking the courts door, on the other hand, the state administration is putting pressure on the Centre and BSF to trace the families,' he said.
On June 26, Danish Sheikh, wife Sunali Khatun and their eight year old son, residents of Paikar village in Birbhum district, were pushed into Bangladesh after they were detained by Delhi Police.
Meanwhile, Sweety Bibi, 32, and her sons — Kurban Sheikh, 16, and Imam Diwan, 6 — from Dhitora village in Birbhum district, were also taken into custody around the same time in Delhi and allegedly pushed into Bangladesh. Both families were detained in K N Katju Marg police station in Delhi.
Bhodu Sheikh, father of Sunali Khatun and Amir Khan elder brother of Sweety Bibi have filed the petition with the Calcutta High Court.
'This Sunday we got a call from my sister who and her children are now somewhere in Bangladesh. They were begging us to bring them back. We are poor people . What can we do? The state government is helping. We are begging to the court to do something and bring them back,' Amir Khan told The Indian Express.
'My daughter, her husband and her child are there too in Bangladesh. I do not know whether I will see them again. They went to Delhi to work as rag pickers. Our only hope is court now,' said Bhodu Sheikh.
Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting.
Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More
