“Kidnapped” Bangladeshis want to go home, Delhi High Court seeks Centre’s stand

By LE Desk

New Delhi, April 12: The Delhi High Court Monday asked the Centre, AAP government and police as to what steps they have taken to trace the antecedents of three Bangladeshi youths, including a minor, who were allegedly abducted from their country and brought to the capital in March and want to return home.

Justice Prathiba M Singh issued notice to the ministries of home affairs and external affairs, the Bangladesh High Commission, Delhi government, Border Security Force and the police seeking their stand on the three youths’ plea to send them back home, news agency PTI reported.

The court directed that the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) be also made a party in the matter and issued notice to it. It directed all the authorities to file their status reports before the next date of hearing on May 5.

According to the petition filed on behalf of the three youths, they had gone to see the Indo-Bangladesh border on March 4, 2021 along with an acquaintance who had given them some food to eat after reaching close to the border.

After eating the food, the three lost consciousness and woke up on a platform of the New Delhi Railway Station on March 10, the petition, filed through advocates Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, Ritu Maity and Abhishek Anand, has said.

Subsequently, the three of them went to the nearby Kamla Market Police Station and narrated their story and the policemen gave them some money for food, the petition has said, adding that later they were shifted to a homeless night shelter.

It has also said that with the help of a social activist, Sunil Kumar Aledia, they made representations to the Bangladesh High Commission and government agencies of India and Bangladesh, but they received no response.

Besides their safe return home, the plea has sought that they should not be arrested for lack of passport or visa and be provided food and shelter till they are sent back to their country.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kidnapped-bangladeshis-want-to-go-home-delhi-high-court-seeks-centre-stand-2411705