Deleted in SIR, four Bengal men now locked at Chhattisgarh detention centre for over a month

After their names were deleted from the voters list during the recent special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, four migrant workers from West Bengal’s Murshidabad now find themselves in an uncanny situation. It’s been a month; they have been detained by Chhattisgarh Police and lodged at a detention centre in Raipur on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals despite being a long-time resident of India over generations.

Late in August, at least 23 migrant workers, including the four persons Sabir Sheikh (42), Safikul Islam (39), Nasiruddin Sheikh (35), and Laltu Sheikh (28) from Murshidabad’s Samserganj and Sahabad areas, went to Chhattisgarh in search of work, where they have also been selling goods house-to-house in Bilaspur area.

On September 4, Chhattisgarh Police detained 23 persons from their residences in Chunchiapara-Ganesh Nagar under Sirgiti police station on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. They were initially taken to the Bilaspur Police Superintendent’s office, from where they were moved to a holding centre in Raipur for illegal immigrants.

Removed in SIR

Later, 19 of these 23 labourers were released on September 18 after the local civil court passed an order while these four men continued to be lodged at the detention centre. The police, in court, questioned their nationality based on the deletion of their names in the SIR exercise. Interestingly, the rest of the 19 persons found their names back on the voters list after the adjudication process in April.

“I have been staying in Samserganj since my childhood. Our old house was a century old, as my great-grandfather had probably built it. After it was washed away due to soil erosion, we set up our new residence in 1973. We have documents of both these houses. How could my son be a Bangladeshi?” said Safikul’s father, 67-year-old Riyajul Sheikh.

Riyajul and his eldest son Rafikul’s names were included in the voters list. But his two other sons — Safikul and Asikul — were deleted from the voter list after the SIR. In the notices issued to them, the Election Commission of India (ECI), flagged a ‘logical discrepancy’ that six other people also claimed Riyajul as their own father.

Pending in tribunal

They have now appealed before the tribunal seeking restoration of their names. However, the applications are still pending.

Sabir’s elder brother Mostakim Sheikh was also detained by the Chhattisgarh Police but was released later. “All of our names are in the voters list after the SIR. Only my brother’s name was struck off for the same. We are still waiting for the tribunal’s decision against his appeal for inclusion. How could the State decide whether he is an illegal citizen before it? said Mostakim.

The situation is not so different for Laltu and Nasiruddin as well.

The family members of these four persons have now filed a petition at the Calcutta High Court, pleading to direct the Chhattisgarh government to release the detainees. The petitioners said that they were detained even while their appeals against the deletion of their names from the electoral rolls are pending before the tribunal. Therefore, the actions taken by the authorities are “wholly arbitrary, illegal, and unsustainable in law”. They have temporarily visited Chhattisgarh for work but have ‘permanent roots’ in West Bengal.

Double standard

During the first hearing of the matter on Monday (September 5, 2026), the Calcutta High Court also criticised the State for its “double standard”. It said that the situation was “contradictory”. “If the authorities were saying that some persons were not Indian citizens, then what would the appellate authority (tribunal) do?” questioned Justice Krishna Rao.

It asked the Election Commission whether it was “playing” with the people. The Supreme Court has formed the tribunal to decide on appeals by those whose names have been deleted from the electoral rolls. The court asked how the FRRO could make a decision on their citizenship.

Meanwhile, at their tiny brick-made house near the Ganges river in Samserganj’s Dhusaripara, Laltu’s wife, Sabera Khatun, is now waiting for her husband with a one-year-old child on her lap.

“I didn’t hear his voice for the last two months. One of our neighbours, who is still working in Chhattisgarh, went to meet them at the detention centre a few days ago. He said they were only crying and asking about our child. They are not even allowed to meet anyone or call his family from there,” Sabera said.