‘They cannot simply disappear’: Gaurav Gogoi seeks Jaishankar’s intervention for 2 Assam women

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi has urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene in tracing and bringing back two women from Nagaon district who were allegedly pushed across the India-Bangladesh border in June while their cases were under legal consideration.

In a letter to Jaishankar on October 3, Gogoi sought the Centre's intervention with Bangladeshi authorities to trace Jahanara Begum of Bagariguri and Mumtaz Begum of Dhing Gaon and facilitate their safe return. Their whereabouts have remained unknown since they were allegedly sent across the border during the intervening night of June 13 and 14, he said.

Gogoi, who is also Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the Gauhati High Court had already made the Ministry of External Affairs a party in the matter and sought Jaishankar's "personal and urgent intervention".

According to Gogoi, both women had been declared foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunal in Nagaon in 2019. They subsequently challenged the tribunal's orders before the Gauhati High Court, which in April 2026 set aside the earlier opinions and remanded their cases for fresh consideration after finding that material evidence had not been properly examined.

Following the High Court's directions, Jahanara appeared before the tribunal on May 29, while Mumtaz appeared on May 30. Gogoi alleged that both women were taken into custody soon afterwards, preventing them from effectively obtaining the fresh tribunal orders and exercising their right to challenge them before the High Court.

The Gauhati High Court, in its September 3 order in Mumtaz Begum's case, had raised concerns over the manner in which the proceedings were handled and observed that she had been prevented from exhausting her legal remedy. The court also directed the Assam government to pay Rs 2 lakh as interim compensation to her husband and impleaded the Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate efforts for her repatriation.

Gogoi further said the High Court had examined expulsion orders issued by the Nagaon District Commissioner on June 2, directing the women to leave India within 24 hours even though they were already in state custody.

He alleged that the two women were subsequently handed over to the Border Security Force and pushed across the international border through Gate No. 2 near Border Pillar No. 1339/MP.

Gogoi urged the External Affairs Ministry to take up the matter with the Bangladesh government and direct the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commission in Sylhet to pursue the case with the concerned authorities.

He also sought efforts to trace the women, provide appropriate consular assistance and facilitate their return to India, subject to the required formalities.

"The two families in Nagaon have been searching for their daughter, mother and wife for months," Gogoi said, adding that the women should not simply disappear after being taken into state custody and sent across an international border.