Read Time: 04 minutes

Synopsis

The Jharkhand High Court has directed the state government to identify and take action against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh who have taken refuge in six districts of the state.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai issued the directive while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Danish Daniel, highlighting the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh.

The PIL alleged that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh have settled in six districts of Santhal Parganas - Deoghar, Dumka, Sahibganj, Pakur, Godda, and Jamtara - causing significant demographic changes. The petitioner submitted data showing a decline in the tribal population from 44.67% in 1951 to 28.11% in 2011, while the minority community's share rose from 9.44% to 22.73% during the same period.

Expressing concern over the issue, the court emphasised that illegal immigration from Bangladesh poses a serious concern for both the state and central governments. The bench directed the government to verify land documents and domicile status before issuing documents such as ration cards, Aadhaar cards, and voter IDs.

The state government has been ordered to submit a comprehensive report on the actions taken to identify and address the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh. The matter will be heard again on August 22.

The court had previously directed the District Magistrates (DMs) of the six districts to submit a report on the issue. In compliance, the DM of Sahebganj district, Hemant Sati, informed the court that a Special Investigative Team (SIT) had been constituted to identify areas with an unusual surge in population or voter numbers.

The court's directive comes as Bangladesh faces a significant crisis, with widespread violence and vandalism targeting Hindu temples, homes, and businesses. The situation has led to an influx of people attempting to flee to India, although efforts have been thwarted by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on the India-Bangladesh border.

 

(With inputs from PTI)