The Kerala High Court has once again postponed the order concerning the return of the four Bangladeshi women in Kozhikode, who were victims of human trafficking. The court has finished hearing the petition filed by Punarjani Lady Lawyers’ Initiative on the unnecessary detainment of the four women, who have been in Kerala for the last eight years. The final order was supposed to be passed two weeks ago but it has been put off four times.
A Kozhikode-based NGO, Arm of Joy, had taken up the task of sending the women back to Bangladesh. The NGO had obtained travel permits for the women from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi as well as a written assurance from the District Magistrates of their home districts that they could be provided video conferencing facility if they were need in court when their cases came up for hearing.
Travel permit
An attempt to send them back in April 2016 did not succeed. With the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer rejecting the petition, they could not go back before their travel permit expired.
However, a second travel permit was issued in June 2016, which has a three-month validity.
