Mistaken and deported as a Bangladeshi, Sonali Khatun returns

Story by ATV | Posted by Aasha Khosa | Date 06-12-2025

Sonali Khatun and her son interacting with Indian officials

Kolkata

Sonali Khatun, who was sent to Bangladesh in June while she was pregnant, returned to India along with her eight-year-old son on Friday through the Mahadipur border in West Bengal's Malda district.

The return was made possible two days after the Supreme Court asked the central government to allow her return on humanitarian grounds.

It may be recalled that the Centre told the Supreme Court that it is ready to bring back Sonali Khatun and her eight-year-old son from Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds.

Sonali Khatun was picked up from Delhi in June this year along with her family and sent to Bangladesh on suspicion that they were foreign nationals. At that time, it was also said that Sonali was pregnant and was working as a daily wage labourer in Delhi.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that the decision to bring them back would be on humanitarian grounds and would not affect the Centre's legal position or right to keep them under surveillance.

Sonali Khatun and her son with Bangladeshi officials

The court, while recording this statement, said in its order that the Government of India is willing to bring back Sonali Khatun and her son, Sabir, as Sonali was detained in Delhi; she will be brought back here. However, the bench also mentioned that the counsel for the respondents has suggested that it would be better to shift them to their father's native district of Birbhum, West Bengal.

The bench directed the Chief Medical Officer of Birbhum district of West Bengal to provide all medical facilities free of cost to the pregnant woman, Sonali, and to ensure that the state government also takes care of her child.

The Supreme Court was hearing the matter in an appeal in which the Centre has challenged a Calcutta High Court order ordering the return of some deportees from Bangladesh, as due legal process for their deportation had not been followed.

The High Court had passed this decision on a habeas corpus petition filed by Bhudu Sheikh. Bhudu Sheikh told the Court that he was a permanent resident of West Bengal and his daughter Sonali Khatun and her family were also Indian citizens, the Delhi Police picke them up from Rohini in June this year and sent him to Bangladesh, where he worked as a daily wage labourer.

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The Supreme Court, in its December 1 hearing, had asked the Solicitor General to take instructions and state whether Sonali Khatun and her son could be brought back on humanitarian grounds.