Guwahati, 03 October (HS): Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president and Lok Sabha Deputy Leader of Opposition Gaurav Gogoi has written an urgent letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking the tracing and repatriation of two women from Nagaon district who were allegedly pushed back into Bangladesh in violation of due legal procedures.

According to Gogoi, Jahanara Begum of Bagoriguri and Momtaz Begum of Dhing village were allegedly pushed across the India-Bangladesh border during the intervening nights of June 13 and 14. Their whereabouts have remained unknown since then.

Gogoi said the Gauhati High Court has already impleaded the Ministry of External Affairs as a party in the matter and urged Jaishankar to personally intervene in the case.

In his letter, Gogoi said a Foreigners Tribunal in Nagaon had declared both women foreigners in 2019. After they challenged the orders before the Gauhati High Court, the court in April this year set aside the earlier decisions, observing that the relevant evidence had not been properly examined and remanded the matter to the tribunal for reconsideration.

Following the court's directions, Jahanara appeared before the tribunal on May 29 and Momtaz on May 30. However, they were subsequently taken into custody, thereby depriving them of an opportunity to obtain the tribunal's fresh opinion and approach the High Court again, Gogoi alleged.

Gogoi further referred to a September 3 order of the Gauhati High Court, which took serious note of the developments. He said the court had observed that the tribunal office had deliberately delayed providing certified copies, describing the action as legally motivated by an improper purpose.

He also said the Nagaon district administration had ordered the two women on June 2 to leave the country within 24 hours, despite them being in police custody. The High Court, according to Gogoi, termed compliance with such an order impossible and described the administrative action as ridiculous.

Despite this, the two women were allegedly pushed into Bangladesh on the night of June 13-14 with the assistance of the Border Security Force through Gate No. 2 near Border Pillar 1339/MP, Gogoi said.

Recalling the High Court's direction for steps to bring the women back from Bangladesh so that they could exercise their legal rights, Gogoi urged the External Affairs Ministry to take four immediate measures.

He sought prompt communication with the Bangladesh government for tracing and rescuing the women, directions to Indian diplomatic missions in Dhaka and Sylhet to actively pursue the matter, necessary consular assistance and travel documents for their return to India and regular updates to their families on the progress of the search.

Gogoi said the two families in Nagaon had been searching for their daughters, mothers and wives for months. He expressed concern that a person who was in government custody could allegedly be pushed across the border and subsequently remain untraced.---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash