Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly criticized the Assam government and the Centre for indefinitely detaining individuals declared as “foreigners” instead of deporting them.
The court directed the immediate deportation of 63 detainees within two weeks, questioning whether the state was waiting for a muhurat (auspicious time) to act.
A bench of Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan stated that indefinite detention in camps violates basic human rights. Assam officials argued that deportation was difficult as the detainees’ addresses in their home countries were unknown. Dismissing this justification, the court asserted, “Even without an address, you can deport them. It is for the other country to decide where they should go.”
Justice Oka further remarked, “If the person is from Pakistan, you know the capital city. How can you keep them detained here?” The court mandated Assam to proceed with deportation irrespective of incomplete foreign addresses.
Additionally, the Centre was instructed to submit data on the number of deported individuals and those still held in detention centers. Assam was also directed to improve detainee facilities and form a committee to inspect detention centers every 15 days.
Earlier, on December 9, 2024, the Supreme Court questioned Assam over the confinement of 270 foreign nationals at the Matia detention center. On January 22, it deemed the state’s response “defective” and “grossly inadequate.”
The case is scheduled for further hearing on February 25.
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