KOLKATA/RAMPURHAT – In a heartwarming turn of events, Sunali Khatun, the pregnant woman from Birbhum who was deported to Bangladesh and subsequently imprisoned for six months, has given birth to a healthy baby boy at a state-run hospital in West Bengal on Monday. Sunali's ordeal began when she was banished to Bangladesh as an alleged illegal immigrant.

Sunali went into labor at her residence in Paikar late Sunday night and was immediately taken to the hospital, where doctors performed a C-section. Her brother, Suraj, expressed immense relief, calling the birth "nothing short of a miracle," especially considering Sunali's challenging circumstances, including spending over 100 days in jail during her advanced pregnancy.

The 26-year-old Sunali, along with her eight-year-old son Shabir, was escorted back to India on December 6 following the Supreme Court's intervention "on humanitarian grounds". Her husband, Danish Sk, and three others are still awaiting repatriation from Bangladesh, where they have been jailed since June.

Following her return to India in December, doctors at Malda Medical College had assessed Sunali, who was stable but anaemic, and were initially planning for a normal delivery. Medical arrangements were also made in Rampurhat in anticipation of her return to Birbhum.

Sunali's mother, Jyotsna Bibi, expressed her worry about Sunali's health upon her return. She and Sunali's daughter Anisha had been in Delhi for the Supreme Court hearing on December 3, advocating for Sunali's return. West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board chairperson Samirul Islam, who spearheaded the legal battle to bring Sunali back, hailed the event as a historic moment that "exposes the torture and atrocities inflicted on poor Bengalis".

Sunali has expressed her desire for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to name her newborn son. Mamata Banerjee, who was at Kapil Muni temple in Gangasagar on Monday, conveyed her best wishes and sent sweets on her behalf.

The Supreme Court had earlier questioned the Centre about bringing Sunali back to India, considering her claims of Indian citizenship. While the central government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, stated that they would dispute the citizenship claim and maintain that she is a Bangladeshi national, they permitted her return on humanitarian grounds. The court had also directed the West Bengal government to ensure all necessary medical support, including free delivery, was provided to Sunali.