The Calcutta High Court will on July 16 hear multiple habeas corpus petitions alleging illegal detention of migrant workers from West Bengal in Odisha and Delhi. The division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra is currently examining the legal status and whereabouts of several such workers.
During a brief hearing on the matter last week, the court was informed that two workers — Sainur Islam and Rakibul Islam — who were allegedly detained in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, have since returned home. The information was conveyed orally by a lawyer to the bench.
The two had earlier been reported missing or illegally held by Odisha Police, according to petitions filed by their relatives. On July 11, the court had directed the Odisha government to submit all relevant records indicating whether the two men had been detained or were missing. Additionally, the West Bengal Chief Secretary was instructed to coordinate with his counterpart in Odisha to ensure proper compliance with the court’s directives and submission of all pertinent documents.
The court is also hearing similar habeas corpus petitions concerning West Bengal migrant workers allegedly detained in Delhi. On Friday, the bench instructed the Delhi administration to file a clarification on whether the individuals in question are under detention.
During the virtual proceedings, the petitioners’ counsel attempted to raise broader concerns about other migrant workers allegedly being held in Odisha. However, the bench asked the lawyer to restrict arguments strictly to the individual clients represented in the petition.
Habeas corpus petitions are legal instruments seeking judicial intervention in cases where a person is allegedly missing or unlawfully detained. The upcoming hearing on July 16 is expected to bring further clarity on the status of the workers and the measures taken by the concerned state authorities.
