Plea in SC alleges government threw 43 Rohingyas into sea
What's the story
A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court alleging forcible deportation of 43 Rohingya refugees by the Indian government, LiveLaw reported.
The petition alleged that the women, children, and those suffering from serious ailments, including cancer, were deported to Myanmar after throwing them into international waters.
The case is currently being heard by an SC bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and N Kotiswar Singh.
Deportation claims
Allegations of forced deportation
According to the petitioners, they were detained by Delhi Police officers in the guise of collecting biometric data.
They were kept in different police stations for 24 hours, then taken to the Inderlok Detention Center in Delhi.
They were then allegedly flown to Port Blair and forcefully taken on naval ships with their hands tied and eyes blindfolded.
The petitioners further alleged that officials had tricked them into agreeing to being sent to Myanmar instead of Indonesia.
Details
Allegations of deceit and abandonment
"To the utter shock of their families, the detainees were not released after the biometric collection," the petition said.
"They remained in that condition throughout the journey... Children as young as 15...were among those abandoned in international waters without regard for their lives or safety."
The refugees, stranded in international waters, were made to swim to a nearby shoreline with provided lifejackets. They soon realized they had arrived in Myanmar, not Indonesia.
Disturbing journey
Refugees were forced to swim toward the shoreline
The petitioners alleged children were separated from their mothers and families during forcible deportation.
They have sought a declaration that "forced and clandestine" deportation of Rohingyas is unconstitutional and demanded the Union of India take immediate steps to return them to New Delhi from wherever they are currently held.
Petitioners also sought ₹50 lakh compensation for each of the deported Rohingyas and asked the government to resume issuing residency permits to UNHCR cardholders under the Domestic Refugee policy.
Demands
Court scheduled a hearing for July 31
They stated that even though India isn't a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, the principle of non-refoulement has been judicially accepted in several judgments.
The matter was listed on May 8. But the court scheduled a hearing for July 31 without issuing any intermediate orders after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta drew notice to an order dated April 8, 2021, which allowed for the deportation of foreigners in accordance with the law.