The Supreme Court was told on Thursday by Assam Chief Secretary (CS) that he would come up with better measures for the inmates lodged in detention camps in Assam.

At today’s hearing, the bench of comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta, Sanjiv Khanna sought details of the foreigners lodged in detention camps and what steps Assam government had taken to deport them.

CS submitted an affidavit saying that the foreigners who have completed 5 years in detention centres may be released subject to furnishing a security of Rs 5 lakh, verifying his address, biometric of his eyes etc.

The bench questioned:  “You are asking the supreme court to be a part of an illegal order where a foreigner who has no right to stay in the country will remain and sign a bond and so on. Don’t you agree there has been failure on part of your government?”

CS replied: “These persons who are to be sent back to their countries are staying here illegally and have their names enrolled in the voters list.”

Bench again asked: “The stand of the government of India and the state of Assam should be that the foreigners’ detenuea should be deported as soon as possible. But we do not see that stand.”

Amicus Gaurab Banerjee said that “we need the assistance of the country where they are to be deported and moreover the detenues also have to cooperate”.

CJI said that means we can say that the government has failed to do its job.

CJI asked: “When did the government of India assisted by the state of Assam had a meeting with the country of origin of these detenues.”

To which the amicus submitted the minutes of the meeting held on March 25.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner social activist Harsh Mander to file his reply to the affidavit.

The matter was adjourned.

The bench was hearing PIL by Mander raising concern towards the plight of inmates in the detention camps in Assam.

—India Legal Bureau