The Assam government has asked foreigners’ tribunals in the state not to pass consequential orders for the detention or deportation of tho...
The Assam government has asked foreigners’ tribunals in the state not to pass consequential orders for the detention or deportation of those declared to be foreigners, The Times of India reported on Monday.
The quasi judicial bodies are tasked with deciding on matters of disputed nationality.
In an order issued on September 4, the Assam government said that members of the tribunals can only offer their opinions on a case, NDTV reported.
The state’s The Political (B) Department said it had viewed with seriousness “the passing of consequential directions/orders by learned members while rendering opinion”, according to the news channel.
The department’s deputy secretary Parijat Bhuyan said that during a performance evaluation exercise, the judicial department had studied “randomly selected samples of opinions” given by members of the tribunals, NDTV reported.
Bhuyan said it emerged that orders for “deletion of names from voter list, arrest and detention of the declared foreigners [had been] passed”, The Times of India reported. “This may not be necessary”.
The official added: “[The judicial department] noted that consequential order for deportation etc. of the declared foreigners, passed. This may not be the correct approach.”
An unidentified lawyer from the Gauhati High Court told The Times of India that while tribunals can offer their views on cases, it is the government’s decision...
