NEW DELHI: Gauhati high court described the expulsion of expulsion of foreigners in Assam as “very grim picture” and noted that 1,16,946 declared foreign nationals are yet to be apprehended and expelled/A division bench of Justices Kalyan Rai Surana and Mridul Kumar Kalita dismmissed a writ petition related to the expulsion of a declared foreigner on November 10.In its order, the bench cited an affidavit filed by the Assam government, which stated that 1,16,946 declared foreign nationals were yet to be apprehended and expelled.“It shows a very grim picture when it comes to the expulsion of foreigners and declared foreign nationals in the State of Assam,” the court observed.The petition was filed by Hamida Begum, a resident of Charaideo district, who was declared an illegal foreigner by a Foreigners Tribunal in December 2018. She challenged the tribunal’s order before the high court, which dismissed her petition in October 2020.She then moved the Supreme Court, which rejected her plea in November 2025. Her review petition was also dismissed in March 2026.Following her detention, Begum was lodged at the transit camp in Goalpara, earlier known as a detention camp.She was released on bail as per the law laid down by the Supreme Court on being detained for three years in a row upon declaration of being a foreign national.However, the high court noted that she was taken into custody again while appearing before the concerned police station, as required after her release.Her counsel approached the high court seeking bail and her release from detention.Dismissing the plea, the bench noted that Begum had exhausted all legal remedies to challenge the Foreigners Tribunal’s opinion and had failed to secure relief from both the high court and the Supreme Court.
Share your thoughts in the comments
Be respectful · TOI community guidelines
The court further observed that the state was contemplating her expulsion and had taken all necessary steps towards it.“Therefore, the state is now contemplating expulsion of the petitioner… the state has taken all necessary steps for the expulsion of the petitioner, and therefore, the present writ petition is not maintainable, nor is the petitioner entitled to bail,” the bench said.
