The hearing of the two Bangladeshi women staying at the Mahila Mandiram in Kozhikode regarding their return to their home country has been completed at the Manjeri Fast Track Court on Wednesday. The court directed the Ponnani police to start the proceedings to send the women back.
The hearing of the third girl was completed in February 2016 on a case registered at the Kalpakancheri police station. This has rekindled the hope that these women, who have been in Kerala for the last eight years, could go back home, if possible before the forthcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
The Bangalesh High Commission in India has issued a fresh travel permit to these women, as the earlier travel permit expired in April. The fresh travel permit will expire on September 14. The original copy of the travel permit was submitted to the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer on June 28.
Victims of human trafficking
The organisation Arm of Joy and the Punarjani Lady Lawyers’ Initiative have been fighting for the release of these women for half-an-year on grounds that they, being victims of human trafficking, need not be detained while the accused were absconding and the investigation has not progressed much.
Earlier, the State Human Rights Commission member P. Mohandas had visited the women at the Mahila Mandiram and had pointed out that such delay in sending the women back home was a serious human rights violation. The women had petitioned the Governor about their condition. The petition is now being considered by the State Department of Home Affairs.
Meanwhile, the District Social Justice Officers of Malappuram and Kozhikode, the District Probationary Officer of Kozhikode and Manjeri, the Sub Inspectors of Kalpakancheri and Ponnani police stations have been asked to appear before the Tirur court on Friday for a cross-examination on this issue. The court hearing is based on the order of the State Human Rights Commission as well as the petition filed by Arm of Joy.
