Bengaluru: 72 Rohingyas identified, no plan to deport them, says K'taka govt

The Karnataka government informed the Supreme Court that there are 72 Rohingyas in Bengaluru city, but it has no immediate plan to deport them.

The state government’s response came on a 2017 PIL filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who sought the apex court’s direction to deport illegal Rohingyas.

The state government, in a written response, said: “The Bengaluru city police have not housed Rohingyas in any camp or detention centres within its jurisdiction. However, 72 Rohingyas identified in Bengaluru city are working in various fields and Bengaluru city police have not taken any coercive action against them as of now.”

There is no immediate plan of deporting them either, it added.

The state government also provided the names of Rohingya refugees who were staying in the north-east division of the city. It further added that all these Rohingyas, except those below 12 years of age, have been given individual numbers by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Karnataka government emphasised that the plea is not maintainable either in law or on the facts of the case, and added it is also devoid of merits. “The Special Leave to Appeal is not maintainable either in law or on the facts of the case. The Petition is devoid of merits. Hence, the Petition is liable to be dismissed in limine,” said the government, which filed a statement of the objection through advocate V.N. Raghupathy.

Upadhyaya had argued that the influx of infiltrators posed a serious threat to the unity, integrity, and security of the country. He had asked the court to issue a direction to Centre and state governments to identify, detain and deport all the illegal immigrants and infiltrators including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas within one year.

The petitioner also urged the top court to issue direction to amend the respective laws to make illegal immigration and infiltration, a cognizable non-bailable and non-compoundable offence.