- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: The Supreme Court declined to hear a petition alleging that the Assam government is conducting a widespread and arbitrary campaign to deport individuals suspected of being foreigners to Bangladesh. A vacation bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma advised the All BTC Minority Students Union (ABMSU) to seek relief from the Gauhati High Court.
The petition claimed that Assam is detaining and deporting suspected foreigners indiscriminately, even without proper declarations from Foreigners Tribunals, nationality verification, or the completion of legal procedures. Filed by advocate Adeel Ahmed, the petition highlighted a pattern of unlawful detentions and extrajudicial “pushbacks” targeting marginalized communities in border districts like Dhubri, South Salmara, and Goalpara.
It referenced a February 4 Supreme Court order requiring the deportation of 63 individuals identified as foreigners, whose Bangladeshi nationality had been confirmed by both the Ministry of External Affairs and Bangladesh government. The petition argued that the Assam government has exceeded the scope of that order by initiating a broad deportation drive without judicial oversight, thereby violating fundamental rights and risking statelessness, especially for vulnerable groups declared foreigners ex parte or lacking access to legal aid.
The petition called for a ruling that deporting people without adhering to due process—such as judicial declarations, MEA verification, and exhausting legal remedies—is unconstitutional. It also requested the court to stay all deportation proceedings against individuals.
