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The woman, her husband and child were forced into Bangladesh in June after officials claimed they were illegal migrants

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Indian authorities on Friday facilitated the return of a pregnant woman from West Bengal and her eight-year-old son who were allegedly forced across the border into Bangladesh earlier this year after being labelled undocumented immigrants, according to officials and court submissions.

Sunali Khatun and her son Sabir entered India through the Mahadipur border in Malda district, The Times of India reported. They were immediately taken to a government hospital for medical examinations to determine whether Khatun, who is in an advanced stage of pregnancy, can travel to her home in Birbhum, nearly 180 km away. Her husband, Danish Sk, remains in Bangladesh.

The Union government informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that Khatun and her child would be brought back on “humanitarian grounds”, while maintaining that this decision would be “without prejudice” to the Centre’s position on their citizenship status or its right to place them under surveillance.

The assurance came after the Supreme Court asked the government whether the mother and child could be returned, noting the medical risks posed by her pregnancy.

Khatun, her husband and son — along with another woman, Sweety Bibi, and her two children — were released on bail in Bangladesh on Monday. They had been arrested for illegal entry after being pushed across the border in June, according to Bangladeshi court documents cited by Indian media. A Chapainawabganj court granted them bail on humanitarian grounds, with a local resident standing surety.

Khatun and the others maintain they are residents of Birbhum. The Calcutta High Court in September quashed the deportation order and directed the state government to bring the six persons back within four weeks. The Centre later challenged that order in the Supreme Court, arguing that the High Court did not have jurisdiction over the matter.

During Wednesday’s hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, urged the Centre to also repatriate the remaining four detainees. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the request, arguing that the others were Bangladeshi nationals.

The Supreme Court observed that if Khatun could establish a biological link to her father — an Indian citizen — she could substantiate her claim to Indian nationality. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on December 12.

The case comes amid a wider crackdown in several BJP-ruled states, where thousands of Bengali-speaking migrant workers have been detained and asked to prove their citizenship, with some reportedly pushed into Bangladesh despite longstanding proof of residency.