Delhi HC asks Centre to file response on plea seeking evacuation of Indian students from Iran

Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Central government to file its response on a petition seeking evacuation of Indian students studying in Iran and ensuring their safety in wake of Coronavirus outbreak.

A bench of Justice IS Mehta listed the matter for further hearing on March 11 and asked the Centre to file a status report on steps being taken to evacuate the students from Iran.

The petition, filed by parents of Indian students studying in Iran through social justice lawyer Fozia Rahman, said that the students are not affected yet but there is a life threat due to the spread of Coronavirus and requested the court to issues appropriate directions for their evacuation.

The plea sought to arrange travel to these students through flight, airplane, ships, cruise or any other appropriate and feasible mode of transport. It also sought appropriate directions to provide humanitarian assistance to the Indian students in Iran.

The petitioner said that those students have a valid student visa to do their higher studies and are enrolled as regular students in the universities of TUMS, Shiraz, Kish Campus of Tehran University, Amirkabir University and other Universities.

"In the aftermath of the Coronavirus outbreak, the situation in Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan, Kish Island and other cities have become volatile. Several cases of infection have been detected in past few days fearing major outbreak the University has decided to close down the colleges and the hostel facilities and cancelled the exams thus students have been advised to proceed to their respective countries," the petition said.

"The students have been trying to find a mode to travel back to India to save their lives in this extremely hazardous situation. The students are, however, shocked and surprised to know that no flights are going from Iran to India. The students are left with no means to come back to their country and unite with their families," it added.

The petitioners who are the residents of various parts of Kashmir are unable to find any help, it said.

The petition said that all the efforts by the students to seek help and support from the Indian Embassy located in Iran have failed, adding that similar petitions had drawn the attention of the government in the past, following which arrangements of the safe evacuation of several students were arranged from countries like China, Japan and Italy.