Calcutta High Court questions Odisha on the illegal detention of Bengali-speaking workers and directs West Bengal to appoint a nodal officer for their release. A status report has been sought by Monday.
Kolkata: Today, on July 11, the Calcutta High Court has asked the Odisha government to explain the detention of Bengali-speaking migrant workers from West Bengal.
The court directed Odisha to answer key questions about why these workers were picked up, whether any legal action like filing FIRs was taken, and where the workers are now.
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The court also told the Chief Secretary of West Bengal, Manoj Pant, to appoint a nodal officer who will work with Odisha officials to get the workers released and provide help. The court has asked for a full status report by Monday.
This matter came before the High Court when Razzak Sheikh, a resident of Hariharpara in Murshidabad, filed a petition.
He said his son, Samiur Islam, was arrested in Odisha on June 30 during a “special identification drive” while searching for work. His lawyer argued that the arrest was completely illegal as no memo was issued, no court hearing happened, and the family wasn’t informed.
Senior lawyer Kalyan Banerjee told the court that this is a “serious issue” because similar arrests of Bengali migrant workers had also taken place in Assam.
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West Bengal’s Advocate General, Kishore Datta, informed the judges that the state government will give full support in identifying the detained workers.
The bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobroto Mitra is hearing the case. Reports show that many workers from Murshidabad, Malda, and Birbhum districts are still missing. Even before the court got involved, West Bengal’s Chief Secretary had written a letter to his counterpart in Odisha about this problem.
Samirul Islam, who is the Chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Workers Welfare Board and also a TMC leader, said that after the Calcutta High Court’s direction, most of the detained Bengali-speaking migrant workers were released from custody in Odisha.
He said,
“Our battle for the rights of Bengali-speaking migrant workers, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will continue until the atrocities against them come to an end.”
In a new development, the Calcutta High Court is also questioning the Delhi government over the deportation of six people, including one minor, to Bangladesh.
During a recent hearing of habeas corpus petitions, the court asked serious questions about how and why this deportation happened and under which law it was carried out.
The six people were from Murarai in Birbhum district, West Bengal. Reports said they were “pushed back” to Bangladesh, which made the court question the reason and legal basis for their removal from India. The court has now ordered the Delhi government to file a reply by Wednesday.
Jharsuguda police in Odisha reportedly detained 444 migrant workers on suspicion that they were Bangladeshi nationals or Rohingyas without proper documents. These workers were employed in construction, mining, and various industries in the district.
The BJP, which won power in Odisha in 2024, has been running a strong campaign claiming that many Bangladeshis and Rohingyas are living in the state without documents.
The campaign has been criticised for being Islamophobic, as several BJP and Hindutva leaders have often targeted Muslims and linked them to “illegal migration” without showing any proper evidence.
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Samirul Islam strongly reacted to the entire issue.
He said,
“The detentions are illegal, unconstitutional, and a crime.”
He further added,
“Our battle for the rights of Bengali-speaking migrant workers, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will continue until the atrocities against them come to an end.”
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