M A I N   N E W S

93 alien convicts deported
Sequel to HC intervention
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 8 — Less than four months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court intervened, 93 foreign nationals, lodged at Central Jail in Amritsar, have been deported.

In an affidavit submitted before Mr. Justice M.L. Singhal and Mr Justice N.K. Sud, the Joint Secretary in Punjab, Department of Home Affairs and Justice, Mr Rakesh Ahir, stated that deported foreigners included 26 Pakistanis, 13 Burmese and two Iranians. Six Bangladeshis had also been repatriated. Another 44 had been sent to Calcutta.

The process of deporting the remaining 25 Pakistanis was on, he stated.

Giving details, he stated that three Pakistanis were repatriated on June 16, eight more were sent back on August 7, another eight were deported five days later. Five others were sent to Pakistan on August 18. Two more left on August 25.

The Bangladeshis, he stated, were deported on June 19. Another 44 were sent to Calcutta on August 17. The Burmese, who claimed they were Bangladeshis, were also sent to Calcutta for deportation to Bangladesh.

Taking up the case, the Judges directed Superintendent of Amritsar Jail to arrange for the deportation of the remaining foreigners within two months of receiving a copy of the order.

Initially, 54 Pakistanis, 50 Bangladeshis, 13 Burmese, two Iranians and one Afghan — were initially ordered by Mr Justice V.K. Jhanji to be deported to their respective countries. The directions were passed after they were ordered to be released by the Chief Judicial Magistrate while holding court at the jail.

Mr Justice Jhanji had observed: “All the foreign nationals arrested confessed their guilt and after recording their confession and also finding that they had already undergone imprisonment of more than three months, they were ordered to be released”.

Mr Justice Jhanji had also observed: “I ordered the Superintendent to deport them immediately to their respective nations. The Superintendent told me that they will have to be kept in the camp being run by the government on the jail premises till such time they are deported to their respective countries. He told that their deportation would take long time, that is seven to eight months.

Mr Justice Jhanji had concluded: “To avoid delay in the deportation of the foreign nationals and also to safeguard human rights, I think it proper to treat their representations as civil writ petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution for issuance of writ to the Union of India to take up their matter with their respective governments for their early deportation”.