Human rights group alleges illegal detention, forced deportation of Bengali-speaking couple

By A Representative

In a shocking revelation, a leading human rights organization has alleged that a Bengali-speaking Muslim couple from West Bengal, working as migrant labourers in Mumbai, were illegally detained, denied due process, and forcibly deported to Bangladesh by Indian security forces, despite being Indian citizens.

Kirity Roy, Secretary of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), and National Convenor of the Programme Against Custodial Torture and Impunity (PACTI), in a letter addressed to the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has detailed what he described as “a deeply disturbing and frightful incident that has shaken the conscience of many.”

According to the complaint, on the night of 9–10 June 2025, at around 2:00 AM, a large contingent of police officers raided homes in Mira Road, under Nayangarh Police Station in Mumbai. The operation reportedly targeted Bengali-speaking Muslim residents. Among those detained were Mr. Fajir Mandal (21) and his wife Ms. Taslima Ishak Mandal, both originally from Hariharpur village, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. The couple, along with Ms. Taslima’s in-laws and others, were taken without warrant and held incommunicado for four days in a BMC-owned building.

During their illegal detention, the detainees were allegedly subjected to ill-treatment, inadequate food, communal slurs, and denial of legal recourse. Despite the father of Mr. Fajir sending documentation confirming Indian citizenship, no legal proceedings were initiated, and the documents were ignored, the complaint said.

On 13 June, the detainees were reportedly chained, placed under tight security, and transported via Pune Army Airport to Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal. They were then driven to Kayladangi Border Out Post (BOP) in North Dinajpur and pushed across the border fence into Bangladesh under the custody of the 87 Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF).

Kirity Roy stated: “This is an outrageous violation of constitutional and human rights protections. The victims were treated like aliens in their own land, denied every safeguard of the law, and literally thrown out of the country by state forces. It reflects a disturbing pattern of racial and religious profiling targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims.”

The group was reportedly intercepted by the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), who denied them entry. The victims remained stranded in no-man’s-land until local West Bengal representatives, including panchayat member Mr. Abdul Gaffar, raised the alarm and contacted the Chief Minister’s office, prompting eventual intervention.

MASUM’s letter calls for immediate NHRC action, including:

- A full, impartial investigation by the NHRC’s investigation wing

- Reports from Maharashtra and West Bengal police and the BSF

- Protection and compensation for the victims

- Disciplinary and legal action against responsible officers

- Steps to ensure non-recurrence of such incidents

Roy warned that failure to act would embolden impunity and deepen fear within minority communities, stating: “Such actions tear at the very fabric of our constitutional democracy and erode public trust in law enforcement and governance.”

MASUM has submitted supporting documentation to the NHRC, including victim photographs and a copy of a complaint sent to the Chief Minister of West Bengal. The group emphasized that this is “only one out of thousands of such incidents” and urged swift and visible accountability.

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