Calcutta HC stays deportation of Rohingya couple

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has restrained the central and West Bengal governments from deporting a Rohingya couple, in "the spirit of humanity" till the disposal of a writ petition filed by the duo.

A bench headed by Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya gave the order on December 18 a writ petition in which Abdur Sukur alias Adi Sukur and his wife Anowara Begam pleaded they shouldn't be sent back to Myanmar "to face persecution" having already sought refugee status with the UNHCR in New Delhi.

The couple, arrested in 2017 from 24 Parganas North district's Basirhat after they entered India through Bangladesh and were on their way to Delhi for a UNHCR hearing, have served out their sentence but are still lodged in Dum Dum jail.

The court, in its order, asked the state government to "uphold the spirit of humanity" by making available the basic amenities to the couple so that they would live with dignity till the petition was finally decided.

Justice Bhattacharya gave time till January 10 to the state and Central governments to file their affidavit-in-opposition,, and fixed January 17 as deadline for the petitioners to furnish their replies.

January 20 will be the next date of hearing.

In their 64-page petition, the couple pleaded they be sent to Rohingya refugees settlements as they have completed their prison term.