Supreme Court Stays Deportation of Two Students to Strife-torn Sudan

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the government's decision to deport two Sudanese students, currently lodged at a detention centre here, to their strife-torn homeland for violating visa guidelines.

A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar, however, took strong note of the visa rules' violations by the Sudanese nationals and said the students, who have been offered education by India, cannot flout the local laws and "vanish without giving addresses".

Amir Ahmed and Khames Ahmed, studying in Benglaluru for almost three years, were required to intimate the authorities in advance if they proposed to leave the Karnataka capital.

They are presently lodged at Lampur detention centre here and are on the verge of being deported to Sudan.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the students, said they faced threat of persecution if they are sent back to Sudan which is facing a civil war and morever,most of their family members, including their father, brothers and cousins, have been killed.

The bench, also comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud, has sought a response from the Centre, represented by Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh and fixed the plea for further hearing on January 20.

The bench was harsh on alleged visa rule violations by the two students and said "we are accomodating them and they cannot breach the rules. They must stay at a fixed place. You (lawyer) just close your eyes and think if somebody does the same in US, what will happen?...There is a breach."

It then referred to the problems faced by India in getting criminals deported from offshore destinations and said, "just imagine what do we face when we ask our citizens, involved in crimes outside, to be given back. They do not return. Here, the situaton is the government has passed an order."

"In our country, you do not listen to the law. We are asked to listen to more of those who do not listen to our law," the bench said.

The plea of Sudanese nationals was mentioned for early hearing by Gonsalves which was agreed to by the court.