Guwahati: The Centre has told Gauhati High Court that India’s High Commission in Dhaka is regularly coordinating with Bangladesh’s foreign ministry to trace two women from Assam who were expelled to the neighbouring country in June and ascertain their whereabouts and health condition.Mumtaz Begum and Jahanara Begum, both 47 and residents of different villages in Nagaon district, were pushed across the border in June, prompting their families to approach the high court seeking their return.A bench of Justices Kalyan Rai Surana and Rajesh Mazumdar, hearing two separate criminal writ petitions filed by Mumtaz’s husband, Mujammel Hoque, and Jahanara’s son, Md Mujahidul Islam, passed nearly identical orders on Friday. The petitions were filed by residents of Dhing Gaon and Bagariguri village, respectively, both under Juria police station in Nagaon district.The bench took on record sealed-cover reports submitted by the state’s political (B) department and posted both matters for further hearing on Nov 26.In its orders, the court recorded that the Centre’s counsel had produced an email from the ministry of external affairs indicating that the Indian High Commission in Dhaka was regularly following up with Bangladesh’s foreign ministry to obtain information on the women’s whereabouts and their current health conditions.The Centre informed the court that the information would be shared with it once received.The state’s standing counsel for border matters, G Sharma, also submitted that he had received instructions from the political (B) department in a sealed cover. Since the documents contained technical details, the court permitted him to obtain the necessary technical information. The orders, however, did not disclose the contents of the sealed-cover reports or make any ruling on the merits of the petitions.Earlier, on Sept 3, a bench of Justices Surana and Susmita Phukan Khaund had passed orders in both cases.According to the court records, the Foreigners Tribunal at Juria had declared both women foreigners in June 2019. The high court subsequently set aside the tribunal’s opinion against Mumtaz on April 20 and Jahanara on April 24, remanding their cases for fresh decisions.Despite this, both women were expelled to Bangladesh at the same time on the intervening night of June 13 and 14 through Kalaincherra in Cachar district.In both cases, the high court impleaded the ministry of external affairs as a party and directed efforts to trace the women and facilitate their return so that they could pursue their legal remedies.
