Prove you are Indian, Calcutta HC tells SIR-deleted ‘Bangladeshi’

Calcutta High Court has rejected a woman's request concerning her husband's potential deportation over absent identification documents

KOLKATA: Calcutta HC Thursday dismissed the plea of a Murshidabad woman seeking to restrain authorities from deporting her husband whose name was allegedly deleted in SIR. “Prove that you (the husband) are an Indian,” the HC said, adding an inquiry is on.Nargis Bibi had moved the single bench of Justice Krishna Rao as husband Selim Seikh has been detained at a detention camp since Aug 31. Though Nargis’s name had appeared on both the 2002 and 2026 voter lists, Selim’s name was missing from both.Bengal police’s counsel said documents found during a raid on Aug 31 pointed to Selim being an illegal Bangladeshi and that he had been detained under a MHA notification of May 2026 for “detection, identification and deportation” of illegal immigrants.Nargis’ counsel called detention illegal and said Selim has not been produced before any authority. “Will I not be given a chance to appear before authority?” the counsel asked.Justice Rao asked “what chance” should be given. “According to the law, 30 days’ inquiry is going on. If you do not satisfy the court or authority that you are an Indian national, what will the authority do? Will it allow you to go around in Indian territory? You have been asked for a document. Show me the document that your name was on 2002 voters’ list,” the judge added.