India’s Supreme Court issues notice over detention of Bengali-speaking Muslims
Court seeks responses from federal and nine state governments after petition claims Bengali-speaking Muslim workers wrongly detained and deported
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — India’s Supreme Court has issued notice to the federal government and nine state administrations over allegations of a coordinated campaign detaining Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers under suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. Rights advocates say the detentions reflect a broader pattern of targeting the community across the country.
The order, delivered by a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, follows a petition filed by the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board.
The case alleges that authorities in states including Odisha, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and West Bengal have been arresting workers solely on the basis of language or appearance, often without evidence of foreign nationality.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the board, told the court that in nearly all cases where verification was conducted, the detainees were found to be Indian citizens. In some instances, he said, workers had been deported to Bangladesh only to be brought back after officials confirmed their Indian citizenship.
Bhushan also challenged police claims that identification documents were written in the “Bangladeshi language,” noting that no such language exists and the text was in Bangla, or Bengali.
The petition alleges that detainees have been tortured and that the Foreigners Act does not authorise arrests based purely on suspicion. While the bench declined to issue interim orders halting the detentions, it said states have the right to verify workers’ identities with their home states.
It suggested creating a formal mechanism — such as an identity card issued by the worker’s state of origin — to prevent wrongful arrests.
The case is scheduled for further hearing in two weeks. Advocates say it highlights the growing climate of fear for Bengali-speaking Muslims in India, many of whom migrate for work and face routine accusations of being “illegal” immigrants despite possessing valid Indian documentation.
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