Silchar, Dec 14: Seven persons from Myanmar’s Rohingya community were detained near the India–Bangladesh border in Cachar district on Saturday.
They were reportedly intercepted at Hilara Railway Station while allegedly attempting to cross into Bangladesh illegally, sources familiar with the matter said.
According to police sources, the group had travelled from Hyderabad and was using Hilara, located close to the international border, as a transit point. The detainees include one man, three women and three children.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the group travelled by train from Hyderabad to Guwahati before proceeding by road to Hilara.
Their presence came under scrutiny after alert local residents found their movements suspicious and informed the authorities, following which the group was detained and handed over to the police.
During initial interrogation, the detainees allegedly admitted that they had entered India illegally via Bangladesh several years ago and later moved to Hyderabad in search of livelihood opportunities.
Police said the group decided to return to Bangladesh amid a recent crackdown on illegal migrants in the southern city.
Officials said further investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding their movement and to identify any facilitators involved.
The issue of illegal immigration involving suspected Rohingya migrants has remained a persistent concern in Cachar, given the district’s proximity to the international border.
In a similar incident earlier in September, Cachar Police intercepted 10 Rohingya migrants, including women and children, from the Tarapur area of Silchar while they were allegedly attempting to cross into Bangladesh.
The issue has also figured prominently in recent national discourse. On December 10, a group of 44 retired judges of the Supreme Court and various High Courts stated that Rohingyas have not entered India as refugees under Indian law and have not been admitted through any statutory refugee-protection framework.
They said such entries are, in most cases, irregular or illegal and cannot be converted into legally recognised refugee status by assertion alone.
The retired judges issued the statement in support of recent remarks by the Chief Justice of India on the Rohingya issue, following criticism from certain quarters.