The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea filed against the deportation of seven Rohingyas scheduled to take place today..The Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph ruled that the Court was not inclined to entertain the plea..Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, continued to press for consideration of the plea even after the Court dismissed it and said,.“It is a matter of Article 21 and it is the responsibility of the Court…”.CJI Gogoi intercepted at this point with his immediate response and said,.“You don’t have to remind us of our responsibilities, Mr. Bhushan. We are aware.”.Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, arguing for the Central government, told the Court that the seven individuals in question had entered India in 2012..Subsequently, these seven persons were caught, tried, and convicted under the provisions of the Foreigners Act..The Court was informed that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India had corresponded with the Myanmar Embassy to determine whether these persons belonged to Myanmar..After determining that the individuals were from Myanmar, the Embassy requested the Government of India to make arrangements for these seven persons to be brought to the border, Mehta told the Court..The Myanmar government is also ready to issue a Certificate of Identity (COI) to these seven persons, the Court was told..Bhushan’s argument in the case pertained to the fact that Rohingyas are recognised by the United Nations agencies as a Stateless people and are known to have fled from Myanmar due to fear from persecution..“Myanmar has refused to recognised Rohingyas as their nationals and that is why there and been this kind of a genocide which the UN agencies have recognised as one of the worst genocides.”.CJI Gogoi highlighted the submissions made by the Government of India on affidavit that these persons are illegal immigrants, to which Bhushan argued that Rohingyas are refugees..“They (Rohingyas) are Stateless and have been driven out from Myanmar. They are refugees, every UN agency recognises them as refugees.”.CJI Gogoi observed that according to the affidavit submitted by the GOI, the seven individuals in question were found to be illegal immigrants as well as convicts under the Foreigners Act. CJI Gogoi also pointed out that the country of their origin, Myanmar, has identified them, and is ready to issue the COI..The plea, therefore, was dismissed by CJI Gogoi’s Bench on these grounds..Featured image credit: Sameer Saran (Instagram – sameersaran_)
The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea filed against the deportation of seven Rohingyas scheduled to take place today..The Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph ruled that the Court was not inclined to entertain the plea..Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, continued to press for consideration of the plea even after the Court dismissed it and said,.“It is a matter of Article 21 and it is the responsibility of the Court…”.CJI Gogoi intercepted at this point with his immediate response and said,.“You don’t have to remind us of our responsibilities, Mr. Bhushan. We are aware.”.Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, arguing for the Central government, told the Court that the seven individuals in question had entered India in 2012..Subsequently, these seven persons were caught, tried, and convicted under the provisions of the Foreigners Act..The Court was informed that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India had corresponded with the Myanmar Embassy to determine whether these persons belonged to Myanmar..After determining that the individuals were from Myanmar, the Embassy requested the Government of India to make arrangements for these seven persons to be brought to the border, Mehta told the Court..The Myanmar government is also ready to issue a Certificate of Identity (COI) to these seven persons, the Court was told..Bhushan’s argument in the case pertained to the fact that Rohingyas are recognised by the United Nations agencies as a Stateless people and are known to have fled from Myanmar due to fear from persecution..“Myanmar has refused to recognised Rohingyas as their nationals and that is why there and been this kind of a genocide which the UN agencies have recognised as one of the worst genocides.”.CJI Gogoi highlighted the submissions made by the Government of India on affidavit that these persons are illegal immigrants, to which Bhushan argued that Rohingyas are refugees..“They (Rohingyas) are Stateless and have been driven out from Myanmar. They are refugees, every UN agency recognises them as refugees.”.CJI Gogoi observed that according to the affidavit submitted by the GOI, the seven individuals in question were found to be illegal immigrants as well as convicts under the Foreigners Act. CJI Gogoi also pointed out that the country of their origin, Myanmar, has identified them, and is ready to issue the COI..The plea, therefore, was dismissed by CJI Gogoi’s Bench on these grounds..Featured image credit: Sameer Saran (Instagram – sameersaran_)
