Tue Feb 04 16:47:10 IST 2025: ## Supreme Court Raps Assam Government for Delay in Deporting Declared Foreigners
**New Delhi:** The Supreme Court today severely criticized the Assam government for its failure to deport 63 individuals declared foreigners during the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update. The court questioned the state’s inaction, asking if it was awaiting an auspicious time (“muhurat”) for deportations.
The bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, directed the Assam government to immediately deport the 63 individuals currently held in detention centers. The state’s argument that it lacked the foreign addresses of these individuals was dismissed as unconvincing by the court.
Justice Oka accused the Assam government of suppressing facts, prompting Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to apologize for shortcomings and claim he had spoken to the highest executive authority. The court threatened a perjury notice, citing deficiencies in the state’s affidavit.
Justice Bhuyan emphasized the necessity of deportation following a foreigner declaration, citing Article 21 (right to life) and questioning the indefinite detention of individuals in Assam’s numerous foreigner detention centers.
The court rejected the state’s claim of lacking foreign addresses, stating that individuals could be deported to their respective countries’ capital cities. The judges questioned why Assam hadn’t sought assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate the deportations.
The Supreme Court ultimately mandated the immediate deportation of the declared foreigners, emphasizing that the responsibility for their subsequent relocation within their home countries rests with those countries themselves.
First Piper 