How many people in Assam detention centres, asks Supreme Court
NEW DELHI: Observing that people can’t be confined to detention centres for an indefinite period, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Assam government to provide details of functional centres and foreigners detained there in the last 10 years.
A Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, said the court was mindful of the diplomatic channels involved in such matters, but the exercise should not result in keeping people confined there endlessly.
The court said foreigners could not be kept confined to the centres after being declared so by tribunals if the Centre had not been able to arrive at a settlement with the countries to which they were to be deported.
“You can ask the neighbouring countries to accept their natives, but you cannot keep them in detention centres for all times,” the Bench said.
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“We would like to know how many detention centres are there in Assam. We also want to know how many persons are lodged there and since when,” it said. Mehta was appearing for the Centre in a PIL filed by activist Harsh Mander who pleaded for humane treatment of detenues in Assam.
Mehta then sought time to furnish numbers of those who have been deported back successfully.“The other country also has to accept them as their citizens,” added the law officer. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing Mander, submitted that it was inhuman to put people in detention centres indefinitely.
“Even the US Supreme Court has taken a view that if they are not deported within a stipulated time period, they should be let free subject to certain reasonable conditions,” added Bhushan.The court has now sought details regarding total number of people declared foreigners in the last 10 years.
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