Calcutta High Court Intervention Leads to Release of Four Bengal Migrant Workers Detained in Chhattisgarh

Four migrant workers from West Bengal have been released from detention in Chhattisgarh following the intervention of the Calcutta High Court. The workers had been detained for more than a month on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. The case raised concerns about the treatment of migrant workers and the need to verify citizenship before taking action against individuals.

The four workers were identified as Sabir Sheikh, 42, Safikul Islam, 39, Nasiruddin Sheikh, 35, and Laltu Sheikh, 28. They were released from a holding centre in Raipur at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, following proceedings before the authorities. The workers had initially been taken to the Bilaspur Police Superintendent’s office before being shifted to the holding centre in Raipur for suspected illegal immigration.

How the Case Reached the Calcutta High Court

The matter came before the Calcutta High Court after the families of the detained workers approached the Court on September 30. Earlier, on September 18, a local civil court had ordered the release of four other migrant workers. Following that development, the families of the remaining detained workers sought judicial intervention.

On Monday, the Calcutta High Court questioned the Foreigners Registration Officer and the Superintendent of Police at Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh over the authorities’ decision to determine the citizenship of the four men from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district while their appeals against deletion of their names from the electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process were pending before the appellate tribunal.

Court Questions Authorities on Citizenship Determination

During the hearing, Justice Krishna Rao questioned the authorities about the legal basis for determining the citizenship of the workers. The Court raised concerns over the consequences of treating individuals as foreign nationals while the relevant proceedings concerning their electoral status remained pending.

The Court questioned the authorities on what action they intended to take if the men were not Indian citizens. The questions highlighted the importance of following the applicable legal process before taking decisions that may affect an individual’s liberty and citizenship status.

Workers Had Travelled to Chhattisgarh for Employment

According to the report, the four men were part of a group of 23 migrant workers who travelled to Chhattisgarh in search of work. They were reportedly detained on September 4 on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals.

Their release followed the High Court proceedings and the subsequent action by the authorities. One of the released workers, Safikul Islam, expressed relief and said that the family had almost lost hope. He also stated that the order recognised them as Indians and not Bangladeshis.

Significance of the Case

The incident highlights the difficulties faced by migrant workers who travel to other States for employment and the consequences of disputes over identity and citizenship. It also underlines the role of constitutional courts in examining detention and administrative action when an individual’s liberty is at stake.

The case further draws attention to the importance of verifying relevant records and following due process before treating a person as a foreign national. The release of the four workers came after their families sought the intervention of the Calcutta High Court, which questioned the authorities over the citizenship determination process.