The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by a student body challenging the ongoing deportation drive in Assam, advising the petitioners to approach the Gauhati High Court instead. The plea sought intervention against the state’s actions targeting individuals identified as illegal immigrants, many of whom have failed to prove Indian citizenship under the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process.
A bench led by Justice Abhay S Oka observed that since the matter is region-specific and involves factual verification on the ground, the appropriate forum to address such issues is the Gauhati High Court, which has territorial jurisdiction over Assam. The Supreme Court declined to entertain the petition, stating that constitutional remedies are available through the High Court under Article 226.
The deportation drive has been part of Assam’s efforts to address the issue of illegal migration, particularly from neighbouring Bangladesh. The NRC, which was updated in 2019, left out over 19 lakh people who now face uncertainty over their citizenship status.
The court’s refusal to intervene at this stage reinforces the judicial protocol of exhausting remedies at the High Court level before approaching the apex court.
