Congress Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi has written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar requesting urgent intervention to trace and bring back two women from Assam who were sent across the border into Bangladesh despite ongoing legal proceedings regarding their citizenship status.
In a letter dated October 2, 2026, Gogoi detailed the cases of Jahanara Begum of Bagariguri village and Mumtaz Begum of Dhing Gaon, both located in central Assam’s Nagaon district. According to the lawmaker, the whereabouts of both women have remained unknown since they were handed over to the Border Security Force and pushed across the India-Bangladesh border through Gate No. 2 near Border Pillar No. 1339/MP on the intervening night of June 13 and June 14.
The expulsion occurred two months after the Gauhati High Court directed a Foreigners’ Tribunal to review its 2019 decision that had categorized the two women as non-citizens. Foreigners’ Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies established under the Foreigners (Tribunal) Order of 1964 to determine whether individuals residing in India are legal citizens or illegal immigrants. Assam currently operates 100 such tribunals. Official data indicates that 31,789 illegal immigrants have been deported from Assam over the past 40 years.
Gogoi highlighted that on June 2, the Nagaon District Commissioner issued expulsion orders directing the women to leave India within 24 hours, despite both individuals already being held in state custody at the time. They were subsequently taken into custody and deported before having an effective opportunity to obtain a fresh tribunal opinion or challenge the decisions before the High Court.
In an order issued on September 3, the Gauhati High Court noted that the Foreigners’ Tribunal had “deliberately and wilfully delayed” issuing a certified copy of its opinion regarding Mumtaz Begum. Examining the 24-hour expulsion order, the High Court described it in Mumtaz Begum’s case as “farcical,” holding that it could not reasonably have been complied with under the circumstances.
In his communication to the Ministry of External Affairs, Gogoi pointed out that the Ministry has already been made a party to
Sources
– [The Hindu – National](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/assam/help-bring-back-two-assam-women-pushed-into-bangladesh-gaurav-gogoi-to-jaishankar/article71540416.ece)
Source: The Hindu – National
Corrections
If you believe this article contains an error, contact Herald Express with the source URL and supporting evidence.
Story synopsis gathered from: The Hindu – National — source
