Suvendu’s police push elderly Muslim man into Bangladesh

• Murshidabad Family Desperately Searching

A serious allegation has emerged that a 61 year old Muslim elderly man from an area under Suti police station in Murshidabad was picked up from his home late at night on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi citizen and forcibly pushed across the international border. The family claims they have received no information about the elderly man’s whereabouts or physical condition since he was taken away.

The family said Mr. Ibrahim Sheikh, a resident of Ramakantapur village under Suti police station, was picked up from his home around 2:00 AM on July 28. According to family members, police officers and personnel came asking to see citizenship documents before taking Mr. Ibrahim away with them.

The family later learned through local sources that Mr. Ibrahim had reportedly been forcibly sent to Bangladesh. However, no official information has been provided by the administration regarding exactly where he was taken, the legal basis for the arrest, or what procedure was followed.

Family Presents Old Documents and Voter List Records

Mr. Ibrahim’s family claims their ancestors have lived in this area for many generations and did not come from Bangladesh. They possess Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, voter ID, and many other old documents, including a family document from 1946.

The family further said that although Mr. Ibrahim’s name appeared in the 2026 preliminary voter list, it was later removed through the “special intensive revision” process.

Mr. Ibrahim’s elderly mother, Ms. Hanifa Bewa, said their family has lived in India for generations. According to the family, the names of Mr. Ibrahim’s parents were recorded in the 2002 voter list, although Mr. Ibrahim’s own name was not included in that particular list.

Allegation of Documents Being Seized by Police

The family alleges that when Mr. Ibrahim was taken away, no FIR, arrest warrant or written notice was provided.

Local resident Mr. Aminul Sheikh said that although Mr. Ibrahim’s family contacted the Suti police station and the Jangipur Superintendent of Police office multiple times, they received no clear information about him.

Mr. Ibrahim’s son, Mr. Shovan Sheikh, told The Observer Post that several police officers came that night and forcibly took his father away, giving no answer when asked why he was being taken. He said the officers only wanted to see his father’s documents, and the family produced the Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter card and the old 1946 document before them, after which the officers took all the documents away with them.

Local panchayat member Ms. Mujkera Bibi questioned whether a citizen can be picked up from home late at night without any written notice and pushed across the border in violation of legal procedure, and demanded a swift investigation into the matter.

Having found no trace of her son, Mr. Ibrahim’s elderly mother eventually filed a habeas corpus petition in the Calcutta High Court, seeking a court order to confirm Mr. Ibrahim’s whereabouts and have him produced.

Three More Persons Allegedly Picked Up from Suti

Similarly, three more residents of the same family from Kalupur village under Suti police station have reportedly been picked up from their home on suspicion of being Bangladeshi.

According to the family, Mr. Abdul Jabbar and his two sons, Mr. Abdul Ahad and Mr. Abdul Jihad, were taken away around midnight on August 8. Their relatives say all three men’s names were on the voter list and that they had voted in elections. The family has questioned why they were detained despite possessing valid passports and all necessary documents, and family members have demanded answers on whether any written notice or legal procedure was followed in the detention or push in.

Human Rights Organization APDR Demands Clear Answers

The human rights organization Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) has published an investigative report on the taking away of four residents from the Suti area in this manner.

APDR’s Jangipur branch said that according to the families’ claims, their relatives were taken from their homes late at night and pushed back into Bangladesh. However, the truth of this push back needs to be independently verified through official documents.

The organization has asked the government what the legal basis for the detentions was, what evidence was used to determine their citizenship, whether they were given an opportunity to defend themselves or provided legal assistance, and whether they were produced before a court. It has also demanded clarity on whether any official record of their transfer exists, and whether they are currently in India or Bangladesh.

Demand for Investigation and End to Push Backs

Mr. Rahul Chakraborty, a member of APDR’s central committee, told The Observer Post that the allegations are extremely serious and require an impartial investigation, and that the truth will only emerge once the individuals’ current whereabouts are confirmed, contact with their families is allowed, and information on administrative and legal action is made public.

He said they demand that Mr. Abdul Jabbar, Mr. Ibrahim Sheikh and his two sons be immediately returned unharmed to their families, that unconstitutional and inhumane push backs be stopped immediately, and that all detention or holding centers in the state be dismantled.