Four Bengal Migrant Workers Freed After Court Orders Release

Four migrant workers from West Bengal's Murshidabad district were released on Oct 7, 2026 after a month‑long detention in Chhattisgarh on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. The men—Sabir Sheikh, 42; Safikul Islam, 39; Nasiruddin Sheikh, 35; and Laltu Sheikh, 28—had been held at a Raipur holding centre after being taken from their homes in Chunchiapara‑Ganesh Nagar on Sep 4. They were part of a group of 23 labourers from Samserganj and Sahabad who travelled to Bilaspur for work and were arrested under a Ministry of Home Affairs drive to trace illegal immigrants. Nineteen of the group were freed on Sep 18 after a local civil court order, but the four remained because their names were still missing from the electoral roll after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Their appeals against the deletion are pending before a Supreme Court‑formed tribunal. On Oct 5 the Calcutta High Court questioned the Foreigners Registration Officer, who also serves as Bilaspur Superintendent of Police, about the legality of checking citizenship while appeals are pending. Justice Krishna Rao called the state’s actions a "double standard" and asked the Election Commission if it was "playing" with the men’s rights. Bilaspur SP Rajneesh Singh said the release came after a delayed verification report from Murshidabad district finally arrived on Oct 7. He ordered immediate release, and the police noted in the order that the four are Indians, not Bangladeshis. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam condemned the delay, urging officials to act without political bias. ## Context The case highlights the tension between anti‑illegal‑immigrant drives and citizens’ right to vote, showing how administrative lapses can lead to prolonged detention even when legal remedies are available.