The Union Government agreed on Wednesday to bring back a pregnant woman and her eight-year-old son who deported to Bangladesh after the Supreme Court intervened.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi accepted a request from the woman’s father, Bhodu Sekh, who was represented by senior advocate Sanjay R. Hegde. He asked for the mother and child to returned to his home in Paikar village, Birbhum district, West Bengal.
Supreme Court orders to arrange medical care for pregnant women
The court ordered the chief medical officer of Birbhum to arrange medical care for the pregnant woman. It instructed the West Bengal Govt to provide her with all necessary facilities during the delivery. The state also told to arrange for the day-to-day care of her eight-year-old son.
This order followed a special leave petition filed by the Union Government against a Calcutta HC decision to bring back the deportees. That High Court order stemmed from a petition by Bhodu Sekh.
Mother and child are not separate, SC Orders
The Supreme Court urged the Centre to return the pregnant woman and her son on humanitarian grounds. The court emphasized that the mother and child not separated.
On Wednesday, Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government, agreed to bring the mother and child through official channels. He noted that this gesture should not affect the Union government’s stance on the deportation order. Mr. Mehta mentioned that the government did not want to set a negative precedent.
Mr. Sekh had said in the High Court that his family was originally from West Bengal and had moved to Delhi seeking work and a better life.
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