Indian Citizen Stranded In US Cannot Be Evacuated Following Lockdown: SC

Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Tuesday, while hearing a petition seeking the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded in the United States, said they could not be brought back amid the coronovirus lockdown.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said that Indian citizens stranded in the US cannot be brought no matter how much we want.

The court said, “They are being assisted. They are spread all over America. They cannot be brought back.  US government is extending visas. Let’s wait for some time,” the court said.

Petitioner and advocate Vibha Dutta Makhija said that there is no guarantee of visas getting extended as the application for extension of visas costs around 500 dollars.

The apex court said that it could not control the decision of a foreign government and said that the Indian government could request the US government not to create problems in visa extensions.

“We have a list of 110 people in dire need of help. The helpline is there. The government has said they will consider evacuation on a case by case basis. Evacuations have been done before. There needs to be fairness,” Makhija told the court.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the evacuation was done earlier and he said that it has now been stopped internationally.

“Each country is trying and doing its best. Why don’t you understand?” Justice Kaul said that we are not in a position to direct anything at this time.

Makhija said that some citizens are in high-risk areas and many of them are cancer patients, to which Mehta responded, saying that there are officials there to look into these issues and help people.

(With ANI Inputs)

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