NEW DELHI: Bipul Chandra Barman, a resident of ‘Hindu Prodhan Para’ in Panchagarh district of Bangladesh, came on medical visa for treatment at Siliguri in West Bengal on March 20 last year, attended the hospital for two days, then went to Thakur Anukul Chandra Ashram at Deoghar and is untraceable since March 24 last year.For the ministry of external affairs (MEA), additional solicitor general Archana Pathak Dave informed the Supreme Court, which has in session of a habeas corpus petition by Barman’s wife in session, that the person remains untraceable and that the relatives must lodge a zero FIR relating to a missing person complaint with Jharkhand police at Deoghar.The wife, through her counsel, said on Jun 30 last year, the Bangladesh High Commission in Kolkata, acting on a request from MEA, issued a letter to the Bangladesh government seeking verification of a person detained in India and identified as Bipul Chandra Pradhan. In August last year, the Bangladesh foreign ministry sent a letter to the Indian home ministry confirming that Barman is a Bangladeshi citizen and has no criminal antecedents.In search of her husband, the wife travelled to India and gave representation for Barman’s release in June this year. Finding no response, she moved the SC.What was intriguing for the SC was the categorical denial by the MEA that Barman has neither been detained, arrested, nor deported by Indian authorities and that his status remains as a missing person. Dave also informed the court that Indian authorities have not communicated at all with the Bangladesh counterparts on Barman.Adding further complications to an already complicated case, the West Bengal government informed the court that Barman’s mobile phone number was found to be used by a person at Barh in Bihar, which is proximate to Deoghar in Jharkhand, the place he visited last before becoming untraceable.
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The CDR analysis showed his last known location was at a temple in Matigara, a place near Siliguri.A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked the ASG, who informed the Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner about the detention of Barman and sought verification of his citizenship and antecedents. SC directed the Union government to file a detailed status report after examining all the leads given in the petition and the status report filed by the West Bengal government.