Solicitor General urges SC to consider whether foreigners violating visa conditions can approach Indian courts
Mar 14, 2022
New Delhi [India], March 14 : Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Monday urged the Supreme Court to consider whether foreigners can approach the local courts if they violate visa conditions.
SG Mehta, appearing for the Centre, submitted that when there is a violation of visa condition, "what would be the scope of the right of foreigners to approach the local courts?"
His submission came before a bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar, which was hearing a batch of petitions filed by foreign nationals challenging the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order blacklisting them for alleged participation in the Tablighi Jamaat congregation.
The Court has listed the matter for further hearing on April 8 asking parties to file their written submission.
Around 900 foreign nationals were charge-sheeted by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police for participating in the Nizamuddin congregation in March this year, which allegedly had become an epicentre of coronavirus spread across the country in March 2020.
In the last hearing, the Court had said that an important and short question is involved, which needs to be addressed expeditiously.
The petitioners include Maulana Ala Hadrami and various others.
