GUWAHATI: The Centre on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that the former was holding diplomatic talks with its Bangladesh counterpart to work out the extradition treaty between the two countries.
Once the extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh comes into force, the illegal Bangladeshis detected in the country particularly Assam could be legally handed over to the foreign country.
The Supreme Court on Thursday heard a petition on condition of suspected illegal Bangladeshis lodged in different detention centres across Assam for several years.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that talks are going on with the Bangladesh government at the highest level. Mehta said that deporting those who claim themselves as Bangladeshis will not be a problem, “but it may be a problem who does not claim themselves as Bangladeshis.” Mehta said the government is hopeful of an early extradition treaty with Bangladesh.
During the Thursday’s hearing, the amicus curiae of the case advocate Prashant Bhusan suggested the Supreme Court that those who had been lodged in detention camps for several years, could be released on condition. The apex court, however, rejected the suggestion asking advocate Bhusan as to who would take the responsibility in case the suspected foreigners made a vanishing act after being released from detention camp.
The Supreme Court on Thursday also asked the government about the status of enhancing the number of foreigners’ tribunals in Assam to expedite the process of disposing cases of suspected Bangladeshis lodged in detention camps and “D” voters. The government informed the court that 200 tribunals have already been set up and the process is on to appoint judges to make them functional at the earliest. The SC has asked the government to file a detailed affidavit to the court in this regard.
The AASU leaders who were present during hearing of the Thursday’s petition, said an extradition treaty is must to officially deport illegal Bangladeshis from Assam. The AASU said conditional release of those lodged in detention camps would send a wrong message.
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