Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court on Wednesday directed the Ministry of External Affairs and the Assam government to take steps to ascertain the whereabouts of a woman declared a foreigner by a Foreigners’ Tribunal and expelled to Bangladesh in June.The state’s enquiry, as ordered by the court earlier on July 3, into on which date and at what time the opinion delivered on May 30 was made ready in the Foreigners Tribunal, 4th, Nagaon, Juria has reportedly concluded.A division bench of Justice Kalyan Rai Surana and Justice Pranjal Das was told by the standing counsel for Foreigners Tribunal and border matters, that she had received the enquiry report and needed time to file it.The bench allowed this and directed that an affidavit be filed at least two days before the next hearing. The case will next be heard on November 6.“In the meantime, the Ministry of External Affairs as well as the State machinery to take steps to ascertain the whereabouts of the declared foreigner,” the bench ordered.The woman, Musstt. Mumtaz Begum alias Mumtaz of Dhing Gaon in Nagaon district, was taken into custody on May 30 and expelled about two weeks later. The court has held that she was not given a copy of the tribunal’s opinion or a chance to challenge it. The matter is a habeas corpus petition (W.P.(Crl.)/26/2026) by her husband, Mujammel Hoque.The MEA counsel earlier October 7 submitted a letter in the court that an enquiry into the woman’s whereabouts was under way and the Centre needed more time.A Foreigners Tribunal first declared Mumtaz Begum a foreigner on June 6, 2019. On April 20, 2026, the High Court set that opinion aside, holding that the tribunal had not discussed the entire evidence. It remanded the case and directed her to appear by May 30.According to the husband, she appeared on May 30 at the tribunal with her lawyer and produced the court’s order. After the lawyer left, police arrested her at the tribunal premises and sent her to detention camp at Matia in Goalapara district.On June 3 she wastaken to Sribhumi, held at a holding centre and handed to BSF who expelled her to Bangladesh on June 13.
