In a shocking turn of events, a 44-year-old woman from Assam, who was declared a foreigner by a tribunal, was arrested and deported to Bangladesh. The woman's family only came to know of her deportation when they filed a habeas corpus petition. The Gauhati High Court had earlier referred her case back to the foreigners tribunal in Nagaon district for a fresh decision, after setting aside the tribunal's order that had declared her a foreigner in 2019.
According to reports, the woman, a Bengal-origin Muslim, had been trying to prove her citizenship through documentary evidence. However, the Nagaon tribunal had earlier failed to consider all the evidence she had submitted, leading to the High Court's intervention. The High Court's decision to refer the case back to the tribunal had raised hopes for the woman and her family, but her subsequent arrest and deportation have added a new layer of complexity to the case.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by many individuals in Assam who are struggling to prove their citizenship. The state's unique system of foreigners tribunals, which decide on matters of nationality based on documentary evidence, has been a subject of controversy and debate. As the woman's family seeks justice, the case is likely to spark further discussions on the need for a more humane and efficient approach to resolving citizenship disputes in Assam.
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