
Fri May 02 13:39:12 UTC 2025: **Supreme Court Stays Deportation of Accenture Employee and Family Amidst India-Pakistan Tensions**
NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court of India has intervened to prevent the deportation of Ahmed Tariq Butt, an Accenture employee, and his family. The Indian government had ordered their expulsion as part of a series of retaliatory measures following the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians.
Butt, who holds an MBA from IIM Kozhikode and possesses Indian passports and Aadhaar cards for himself and his six-family members, approached the court, claiming the deportation order was based on false allegations of visa overstay. He stated that his family migrated from Pakistan to India between 1997 and 2000 and subsequently obtained Indian citizenship.
The Supreme Court, while directing verification of Butt’s documents, issued a stay order preventing any coercive action against the family until the verification is complete. The court also instructed Butt to seek further relief from the High Court. Although the government contested the stay, the Supreme Court acknowledged the “human element” in the case.
Significantly, the Supreme Court clarified that its ruling should not serve as a precedent for similar cases. This is particularly relevant given reports of other Indian nationals, many with Muslim names, facing visa cancellations and deportation orders in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.
The government’s actions are part of a broader response to the attack, attributed to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. Measures taken include the cancellation of Pakistani visas (excluding long-term and Hindu visas), border closures, and suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan has responded with reciprocal measures. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has granted the military operational freedom to respond to the attack.