A growing sense of fear has reportedly gripped several villages in Murshidabad’s Suti area amid allegations that police have been detaining residents on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals and subsequently attempting to push some of them across the international border.
Human rights activists and civil society members claim that around 10 people have been detained in the area in recent months in cases involving allegations of attempted pushbacks. They have raised concerns over what they describe as arrests and detentions carried out without adequate legal safeguards.
A delegation comprising human rights activists, social workers and academics recently visited Suti as part of a fact-finding exercise into the allegations. The delegation included human rights activist Biplab Nayak, Kiriti Roy, convenor of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), and University of Kent associate professors Sanjay Bhattacharya and Antara Swarnakar.
According to the activists, several Bengali-speaking Muslim residents have been picked up despite allegedly possessing Indian identity documents. They claimed that after being taken into custody, some individuals became difficult for their families to trace because they were allegedly transferred to BSF facilities or holding centres.
Fact-Finding Team Visits Suti
The delegation visited Suti on September 14 to examine reports of alleged police action against residents suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals.
According to members of the team, they were informed about the alleged detention of Ibrahim Sheikh, an elderly resident of the area. Activists claimed that Sheikh had been forcibly taken away by police shortly before the team’s visit.
The activists alleged that such incidents had contributed to an atmosphere of fear among sections of the local population. They claimed that residents were increasingly apprehensive that they could be detained on suspicion of being foreign nationals even when they possessed documents establishing their identity and residence in India.
During the fact-finding exercise, the delegation reportedly met Abhijit Basu Mallick, Inspector-in-Charge of Suti-II Police Station, to discuss the alleged detention of Ibrahim Sheikh.
According to the activists, the police officer said that the individuals concerned were not being formally “arrested” but were being detained on the basis of specific information. The delegation claimed that, according to the officer’s explanation, arrest memos were therefore not being issued in such cases.
The activists further alleged that provisions relating to foreigners and immigration were being invoked and that those detained were subsequently sent to BSF facilities or holding centres.
Activists Raise Concern Over Alleged Pushbacks
The delegation said it was told that if a detained person failed to establish Indian citizenship within a specified period, the person could subsequently be treated as a Bangladeshi national.
An organisation identified as PACTI also reportedly told the activists that once a police report identified a person as Bangladeshi, the individual could be sent across the border.
The activists claimed that Ibrahim Sheikh had similarly been identified as Bangladeshi and expressed concern that he may already have been pushed back across the border.
The claims regarding Sheikh’s detention, nationality and possible pushback have been made by activists and could not be independently verified.
Rights Groups Raise Legal Concerns
Human rights organisations have questioned the legal procedure allegedly being followed in such cases and whether individuals suspected of being foreign nationals are being given adequate opportunities to establish their nationality and challenge adverse decisions.
Speaking to The Observer Post, Kiriti Roy, secretary of MASUM, said that securing the country’s borders and preventing illegal entry were legitimate responsibilities of the government and law enforcement agencies, but argued that such measures must be balanced against individual rights and legal safeguards.
“Police or security forces cannot unilaterally decide to revoke someone’s citizenship or push them back without the judicial process of a competent tribunal or court,” Roy said.
He added that detaining or attempting to push back people solely on the basis of suspicion, without following due legal procedure, would raise serious constitutional concerns.
Roy also said that there are established legal mechanisms for determining the status of people suspected of being foreign nationals and that those procedures should be followed rather than relying solely on police suspicion.
Activists Seek Transparency
The activists have called for greater transparency in the detention and nationality-verification process.
They have sought information about where detained individuals are being held, what evidence is being relied upon to determine their nationality and whether those detained are being provided an opportunity to challenge such determinations.
