‘India not a Dharamshala’, Know why Supreme Court makes a strict comment?

A bench of Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing the petition of a Sri Lankan citizen. Read further on Dynamite News

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has made a strong comment on the issue of refugees on Monday. While hearing the petition of a Sri Lankan citizen living as a refugee in India, the Supreme Court said that India is not a Dharamshala where refugees from all over the world can be kept, reports Dynamite News correspondent.

A bench of Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing the petition of a Sri Lankan citizen.

The petitioner was arrested in 2015 on suspicion of being associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The petitioner has been convicted in the UAPA case and the Foreigners Act case. He states that he wanted to stay in a refugee camp in India and he said that if he will sent back to Sri Lanka, he would be killed. The bench also refused to consider the argument that if the man was sent back to his country, his 'life would be in danger'. The bench remarked, "Go to some other country."

According to the petition, the Sri Lankan man will be deported after completing a 7-year jail sentence in a murder case in India.

Struggling With 140 Crore People

On this argument of the petitioner, Justice Datta said, "Does India have to host refugees from all over the world? We are struggling with 140 crore people. This is not a dharamshala that we can welcome foreign nationals from everywhere."

About The Matter

A trial court convicted him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2018 and sentenced him to 10 years in jail.

In 2022, the Madras High Court reduced his sentence to seven years, but asked him to leave the country as soon as his sentence is completed and stay in a refugee camp before deportation.

Earlier Case

Two days ago The Supreme Court on Friday declined to stay the deportation of Rohingya refugees, refusing interim relief in a public interest petition that alleged the Indian government forcibly deported 43 Rohingyas including women, children, and critically ill individuals by abandoning them in international waters near Myanmar.

A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh expressed strong disbelief in the allegations, calling them vague and unsupported by any credible evidence. "Very beautifully crafted story! What is the material to substantiate your allegations?" Justice Kant remarked during the hearing.