The Jharkhand High Court expressed concerns over the misleading information provided by the deputy commissioners of the Santhal Pargana districts regarding the presence of illegal immigrants. During a session on Wednesday, a division bench consisting of acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai scrutinized the conflicting statements during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) focused on the illegal immigration from Bangladesh into the region.
The deputy commissioners had previously assured the court that there were no illegal immigrants in Santhal Pargana, a claim directly contradicted by an affidavit from the Centre. The affidavit revealed evident signs of illegal immigration from Bangladesh within the region, challenging the earlier statements made by local officials.
Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta suggested that the Union home secretary and the chief secretary of Jharkhand should convene to establish a high-powered committee. This proposed committee would include officers from both the Centre and the state, tasked explicitly with addressing the challenges posed by illegal immigration from Bangladesh.
The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for September 20, where further discussions on the formation of the committee and strategies to tackle the immigration issues are expected to take place.
