SC orders release of Assam woman lodged in detention camp

Guwahati (Assam), September 13, 2018:

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the release of a woman, who was suspected to be an illegal immigrant and kept in a detention camp, on bail.

The apex court noted that her parents, husband and five brothers were Indian citizens.

A Bench, headed by Justice Kurian Joseph, stated that the woman, Sofia Khatun, who was lodged in the Kokrajhar jail since 2016, could not be detained any more as the Assam government admitted that her parents and other members in the family were genuine citizens.

Sofia was set free by the apex court on the condition that she will appear before the police station in Barpeta once every month. She was kept in the detention centre after an order by a foreigners’ tribunal. She has three daughters and a son.