Supreme Court Orders Repatriation of Pregnant Indian Woman Deported to Bangladesh on Humanitarian Grounds

Dec 03, 2025 03:20 pm CST

The Supreme Court of India has directed the Centre to return nine-months pregnant Sonali Khatun and her 8-year-old son from Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds, emphasizing that the state must sometimes "bend" in such cases. The woman claims Indian citizenship as daughter of Indian citizen Bhodu Sheikh, with the Court ordering free medical facilities upon her return. The case is part of a larger deportation dispute involving seven individuals sent to Bangladesh, with the Calcutta High Court previously ruling the deportations illegal.