Bengaluru: The Bengaluru police ensured the safe delivery of a pregnant Bangladeshi woman detained during ‘Operation Mukta’ and cared for her newborn daughter until the deportation process was completed.
The 22-year-old woman, Khatoon, wife of Rabibul Badsha, was detained on July 17 on suspicion of staying illegally within the limits of Parappana Agrahara police station. She was subsequently produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) and, following its directions, lodged in a special ward at a detention centre.
Police personnel handling her case accompanied her during medical check-ups and ensured that she received necessary medicines and other essentials. They also monitored her antenatal care during the period of detention.
After spending a little over a month at the detention centre, Khatoon went into labour on August 24 and delivered her second daughter. With the woman also having a four-year-old daughter, police officials faced the additional responsibility of ensuring the safety and care of the newborn until the deportation arrangements were completed.
A special effort was made by women police personnel to provide assistance to the mother and child. The case was being handled by police sub-inspector Kalavathi of Parappana Agrahara police station, who herself is six months pregnant.
Kalavathi was entrusted with ensuring that Khatoon received the necessary care. Women police personnel took turns attending to the mother and newborn at the detention centre. After the delivery, the woman and baby were taken to hospital and were later brought back to the centre following her discharge.
Police officials continued to monitor the arrangements until the FRRO’s deportation order was implemented.
Family deported from West Bengal’s Malda
The deportation process required Khatoon and her two daughters to be taken to Malda in West Bengal, from where they were to be sent to Bangladesh. Since the newborn was only nine days old, police made additional arrangements to ensure that the mother and baby could travel safely.
The family was taken by train to Malda on August 30. Police personnel accompanying them reportedly ensured that the newborn received appropriate care during the journey.
According to police, Khatoon and her baby reached Malda safely and were subsequently handed over to the West Bengal Police for further action related to their return to Bangladesh.
While the woman’s detention and deportation were carried out as part of the proceedings initiated against her for alleged illegal stay, officers involved in the case ensured that her pregnancy, delivery and the immediate needs of her newborn were not overlooked.
Police officer also six months pregnant
The involvement of a pregnant police officer in coordinating the woman’s care also added a human dimension to the case. Kalavathi, despite being six months pregnant herself, supervised the arrangements and coordinated with other women personnel during the detention and deportation process.
Police officials said the priority throughout was to ensure that the mother and child remained safe while the legal and administrative procedures concerning her deportation were completed.
The case comes amid intensified scrutiny of undocumented foreign nationals in Bengaluru under enforcement drives. At the same time, the handling of Khatoon’s case demonstrates how police personnel can provide basic humanitarian assistance while carrying out procedures relating to detention and deportation.
With the family now handed over to authorities in West Bengal for onward repatriation, Bengaluru police have completed their role in the case after ensuring that the mother and her newborn daughter travelled safely despite the challenges posed by the infant’s age and the deportation process.
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