The Supreme Court agreed to examine a plea seeking safe repatriation of 26 Indians allegedly detained in Russia and forced into the Ukraine conflict. The bench asked the Centre to obtain instructions, taking note of the serious allegations.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court agreed to consider a petition seeking directions for the Centre to take steps to enable the safe repatriation of 26 Indian citizens. The plea alleges that these individuals have been detained in Russia and forced to fight in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Noting the petition, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was present in court, to obtain instructions on the matter.
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Counsel appearing for the petitioners informed the bench that the 26 persons are Indian citizens who are currently in Russia. They submitted that the individuals were compelled to take part in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Mehta told the bench that he would examine the petition and take instructions from the Centre. The bench granted time to the Solicitor General to do so and scheduled the matter for hearing later this month.
The petition seeks directions for the Centre to take immediate diplomatic and consular measures through the Indian embassy in Russia. It asks that these steps be taken to ascertain the whereabouts of the detained Indian citizens, their legal status, and their safety.
The plea also requests directions to ensure consular access to these individuals in line with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963, and applicable bilateral consular arrangements.
It further states that the Centre should take all necessary diplomatic steps to facilitate the protection, welfare, and safe return of these citizens to India, wherever permitted under international law.
The petition also asks for directions to facilitate communication between the detainees and their families, and to ensure that the detainees receive appropriate medical care, humanitarian support, and legal assistance where needed.
Additionally, the plea seeks a direction for the Centre to file an affidavit before the court detailing the protocol, procedure, and standard operating mechanism followed by the government in cases where Indian citizens are reported missing, detained, or stranded abroad.
It also requests that the government place on record the steps already taken by authorities in relation to the detainees.
Further, the petition seeks directions to the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh to initiate and strengthen investigation and enforcement mechanisms against illegal recruitment agents operating within their territories. The plea alleges that such agents induce Indian citizens to travel abroad on false pretences.
It urges that these states be directed to identify and prosecute persons involved in illegal overseas recruitment, trafficking, and exploitation of Indian citizens.
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