Sushree Mohanty
The Supreme Court has consented to hear a petition looking for security and release of more than 150 Rohingya refugees.
The Refugees have been sent to a Centre in Jammu as a part of the Jammu and Kashmir organization’s process to distinguish the undocumented migrants in the Union Territory. The organization has said it will deal with their extradition next to Myanmar.
Additionally, the Chief Justice of India SA Bobde directed solicitor general Tushar Mehta to document a response in the matter in one week from now.
The Jammu and Kashmir organization started the process of identifying the undocumented migrants on March 6 and more than 150 of these individuals were sent to the holding community Centre as per the Foreigners Act.
Authorities stated that fair treatment of law was followed and added the refugees who were sent to the Centre did not possess any legitimate travel reports.
Countless Muslim Rohingya have escaped from Myanmar to get away from mistreatment and a large number of them have been staying in the Union Territory.
The United Nation has called the Myanmar armed force’s campaign against the Rohingya “a common case of ethnic cleansing”.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan filed an emergency petition on behalf of a Rohingya, Mohammad Salimullah. Bhushan said an urgent hearing on the matter was needed since those “detained” in Jammu could be sent back to Myanmar at any point of time now, where they had initially escaped from dreading abuse and violence.
“There is a military government in Myanmar now. Their life is under danger,” said Bhushan, alluding to the recent military coup in Myanmar that ousted the Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February.
Refuting Bhushan’s claims and terming them to be incorrect, Mehta said the public authority would respond soon.
Salimullah has, in his request, referred to news reports of “confinement” of around 150 refugees in a “temporary prison” for their extradition.
“This follows the Union Minister Jitendra Singh’s assertions two months prior that the Rohingya (recognized as Muslim refugees by the government) would not be able to acquire a citizenship. These individuals have been unlawfully imprisoned in the Jammu sub-prison, which has been changed over into a holding place with the IGP (Inspector General of Police, Jammu) Mukesh Singh expressing that they will be sent back to Myanmar following identification check by their government office,” he stated in his plea.
Further, the plea has requested the court to arrange for the release of the Rohingyas quickly at the earliest and to grant them identification proof cards.
Additionally, the plea referred to records from the Commissioner Chief’s office and said that as per the reports; about 6,523 Rohingyas were living in Jammu and therefore requested the court to restrain the Centre from making any move which would send back the refugees to Myanmar.
The plea also sought for notification to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to “intercede and decide on the security and protection needs of the Rohingyas in the Jammu as well as in camps across the nation and complete the procedure for allowing them refugee cards”.