'Waiting for some muhurat?': Supreme Court slams Assam government for not deporting 'foreigners'

The top court directed the Assam government to start within two weeks the deportation of 63 persons kept in detention centres and file a compliance affidavit.

Updated on: Feb 4, 2025, 12:34:30 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Assam government for keeping declared "foreigners" in detention centres indefinitely rather than deporting them. "Are you waiting for some muhurat", a bench comprising justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan remarked.

The bench directed the government to deport the foreigners immediately. The court, reacting to the Assam government's submission that their addresses were not known, asked them to deport them to their respective capital cities.

"You have refused to start deportation saying their addresses are not known. Why should it be our concern? You deport them to their foreign country. Are you waiting for some muhurat (auspicious time)?" the bench said, reported PTI.

"Once you declare a person a foreigner, then you have to take the next logical step. You cannot detain them till eternity. Article 21 of the Constitution is there. There are many foreign detention centres in Assam. How many have you deported?" the bench told the counsel appearing for the Assam government.

The top court directed the Assam government to start within two weeks the deportation of 63 persons kept in detention centres and file a compliance affidavit.

What Justice Oka told Assam government

Justice Oka told the Assam chief secretary that they would never know the addresses of the foreigners.

Also read: 'Gross violation': Supreme Court slams Assam govt over foreigners' detention

"Once they are held to be foreigners, they should be deported immediately. You know the status of their citizenship. Then how can you wait till their address is received? It is for the other country to decide where they should go," he said, reported Live Law.

"Why can't you submit a proposal to the MEA? Your chart doesn't say it has been given. Your chart says 'foreign address not divulged'. You would never know the address," he said.

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