PIL in Delhi HC seeks evacuation of Kashmiri students stranded in Bangladesh

A public interest litigation (PIL) was moved in the Delhi High Court on Thursday, seeking direction to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to evacuate Kashmiri students stranded in Bangladesh amid the lockdown imposed due to the menace of coronavirus.

The PIL, filed by advocate Gaurav Bansal through telephonic mentioning, seeking direction to the MEA to take steps for a safe and secure return of Indian citizens stranded in Bangladesh.

The plea has also sought directions to appoint nodal officers in all Indian embassies and make public their contact numbers and email addresses so that Indian citizens outside the country can contact them and seek their help when needed.

It said that the petitioner received a message wherein a medical student sought his help in evacuating Kashmiri students who are facing extreme difficulty in Bangladesh due to the lockdown.

"It has been learned that there are around 581 such students in Bangladesh whose welfare and wellbeing is at stake and are looking for help from the Indian authorities," the petition said.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.

The Delhi High Court had on Wednesday directed the Central government through MEA to expeditiously provide basic amenities like food, water, transportation, medical care and lodging to the students stranded at Kazakhstan airport.