Russian woman’s children, found living in a cave near Mysuru, faced sudden deportation. Karnataka High Court intervened, citing the UNCRC, and ruled that their best interests must be protected before any deportation action is taken.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court stepped in to temporarily prevent the deportation of a Russian woman’s children, highlighting the necessity of prioritizing their best interests as outlined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav made this ruling during a hearing of a writ petition challenging an abrupt deportation order concerning the children.
The petitioner, represented by advocate Beena Pillai, argued that the deportation process overlooked the children’s welfare and violated the principles of the UNCRC.
The assistant solicitor general (ASG), representing the Union of India, informed the court that the children currently do not possess valid travel or identity documents. In light of this information, the court remarked that immediate deportation was not reasonable at this time.
Nevertheless, the court emphasized the need for a comprehensive hearing to thoroughly assess the case. It directed the respondents to provide a written affidavit confirming the lack of valid documents and to submit their objections within two weeks.
Moreover, the court issued a clear instruction that no deportation actions could be taken without prior notification to it, effectively halting any unilateral deportation attempts until the next hearing scheduled for August 18.
Nina Kutina (40) and her two daughters, Preya (6) and Ama (4), were rescued by police from the Ramatirtha cave in Gokarna, Uttara Kannada district, on July 11. Kutina had been residing there despite her visa having expired.