India to take back five 'pushed-in' persons from Bangladesh

The Indian central government has decided to take back five persons who were "pushed into" Bangladesh in June last year. After bringing them back, their Indian citizenship will be verified, the government told the Supreme Court of India on Friday, May 22.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant that the decision to bring the five back has been taken considering humanitarian and special circumstances. The government will examine their overall situation upon return and take further steps accordingly. The process of bringing them back will be completed within the next 10 days.

Earlier in September last year, the Kolkata High Court had ordered the return of six people who were pushed into Bangladesh. The central government later appealed against that ruling in the Supreme Court.

It is known that among the six, a woman named Sonali Khatun was brought back to India along with her eight-year-old child. She was pregnant at the time and later gave birth to her second child in Birbhum, West Bengal.

The remaining five were claimed to be residing in Delhi. Indian authorities had alleged they were taken to Bangladesh on the assumption that they were Bangladeshi citizens. Six members of two families were victims of the push-in, after which they approached the court.