Supreme Court stays deportation of two women detained in Assam after being declared foreigners

The Supreme Court on June 5 stayed the possible deportation of two women from Assam who are currently lodged in the Goalpara Detention Centre after being declared foreigners by a Foreigners Tribunal.

A vacation bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice V. Mohana issued notices to the Union Government and sought its response to petitions filed by four women challenging Foreigners Tribunal orders that declared them foreigners.

The two detainees, Saleha Khatun and Sarbhanu Begum, have been held at the Goalpara Detention Centre since March 2026.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on July 16 and directed that if the two women continue to remain in detention, they must not be deported until the next date of hearing.

“If they are in detention, they will not be deported till the next date,” the bench observed.

The case relates to separate petitions filed by four women — Saleha Khatun, Sarbhanu Begum, Basiran Nessa and Musst Nuzera Begum, who have challenged Foreigners Tribunal orders declaring them foreigners.

According to the petitions, Saleha Khatun and Sarbhanu Begum submitted documentary and oral evidence linking them to pre-1971 Indian ancestors through electoral records and NRC legacy data. However, they contend that their claims were rejected due to minor discrepancies in names and records.

The petitions further allege that the tribunals discarded material evidence and that the orders were subsequently upheld by the Gauhati High Court.

During the hearing, counsel for the two detainees argued that they feared imminent deportation as they had already been taken into custody. Following the submissions, the Supreme Court directed that no deportation action be taken against them until the matter is examined further.

The court will hear the petitions of all four women on July 16.