Guwahati, Sept. 7 -- The Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam government to pay Rs 2 lakh in interim compensation to Mumtaz Begum, a Bengali-origin Muslim woman who was expelled to Bangladesh without an opportunity to challenge a Foreigners Tribunal order declaring her a foreign national.

A Division Bench of Justice Kalyan Rai Surana and Justice Susmita Phukan Khaund passed the order while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Begum's family. The family came to know that she had been pushed into Bangladesh when they approached the High Court with the petition.

The court took serious exception to the manner in which the Nagaon Foreigners Tribunal handled Begum's case, observing that "malice in law" on the part of the tribunal ap...