GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 4th Feb. In a stern rebuke, the Supreme Court today criticized the Assam government for its delay in deporting individuals declared as foreigners, asking if the state was waiting for an “auspicious time” to take action. A bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan directed the state to deport 63 individuals currently detained in foreigner detention centres, following the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update.
The Assam government had argued that it did not have the addresses of the foreigners’ countries of origin. However, the court found this excuse insufficient, with Justice Oka accusing the state of suppressing facts. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta responded by apologizing for the “lacunae” and claimed to have spoken to the highest authorities in the Executive, but Justice Oka warned that a perjury notice would be issued for failure to provide full disclosure.
Justice Bhuyan emphasized the urgency of the matter, pointing out that once individuals are declared foreigners, they should not be detained indefinitely. “Article 21 is there. How many foreigners have you deported?” he asked, urging the state to take immediate action.
Justice Oka further criticized the state’s claim that it was unable to deport individuals due to a lack of address details, stating that deportation could be made to the capital city of the respective country. “You know the capital city of Pakistan, for instance. How can you keep them detained without their foreign address?” he remarked.
The bench questioned the state’s failure to approach the Ministry of External Affairs for assistance, stressing that the deportation process should not be delayed. The court emphasized that it was the responsibility of the foreign governments to decide the final destination of their nationals. The bench concluded by reiterating that the deportation of these foreigners should happen without further delay.
The post Are You Waiting for Some Muhurat to Deport Foreigners?: SC Slams Assam Govt appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates.
