Jharkhand HC Orders Identification of Bangladeshi Illegal Immigrants

The Jharkhand High Court has directed the state government to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the Santhal Parganas area. This decision came during a hearing on a public interest litigation, highlighting the demographic changes due to the influx. The court emphasized the importance of verifying documents before issuing them to applicants.

The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday ordered the state government to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the Santhal Parganas region. This directive was issued by a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai during a hearing of public interest litigation.

The court instructed the government to initiate a campaign to identify the original residents of the area. Additionally, it mandated the verification of land documents and domicile status before issuing ration cards, Aadhaar cards, and voter ID cards to applicants.

Expressing serious concern over illegal immigration from Bangladesh, the court deemed it a significant issue for both the state and the central government. The petitioner, Daniel Danish, highlighted that illegal immigrants have settled in six districts, altering the region's demography since 1951. The court will revisit the matter on August 22.