'Don't Take Bangladeshi Infiltrators to Court, Hand Them Over to BSF': Bengal CM Suvendu

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday said if any person who migrated from Bangladesh through illegal means will not be produced in the courts if apprehended by the police or the RPF personnel but would be directly handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) for deportation. 

What did Suvendu Adhikari say?  

After an administrative meeting in Howrah on Thursday, Suvendu Adhikari directed the police and Railway Protection Force (RPF) to send the illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators to the BSF on the border for deportation instead of producing them before the court.

"Since yesterday, the new rule has come into effect under which infiltrators will not be sent to courts but handed over to the BSF at the Bangladesh border," Adhikari, the chief minister said.

What did West Bengal CM say to police and BSF?

Following the review meeting at the Howrah District Magistrate's office, Adikari said that instructions have been issued to the Police Commissioner and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in this regard. 

"The police commissioner and the RPF have been clearly instructed that if any migrant from Bangladesh, who is not entitled to apply for citizenship under the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act 2019), is detained at Howrah (railway) station, he or she should not be sent to a court," he said.

"The person concerned should be properly fed and then taken directly to the BSF personnel at the Petrapole border in Bongaon or the border outpost in Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district," he added.

Who will check the report?

Suvendu also ordered that weekly reports on the number of infiltrators detained be submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office through the Director General of Police (DGP).

He described this as part of a broader detect, remove, and deport framework. However, the Chief Minister did not name the Act under which the BJP government in the state has made this policy change to prosecute infiltrators.

Is commission formed against institutional corruption?

Suvendu said that they have sought a factual report on illegal constructions in Howrah and will also launch an investigation into alleged corruption. He also said the state government's commission against institutional corruption, headed by Justice Biswajit Basu. The commission's member secretary is senior IPS officer K. Jayaraman. This panel has been tasked with investigating allegations of corruption, including the 'cut money' scam, and will officially begin work on June 1.