When will Saudi man be deported, Delhi HC to centre

The Delhi High Court Tuesday directed the central government to inform it when it will deport a Saudi man held in Tihar jail in the capital.

A division bench of Justice P.K. Bhasin and Justice J.R. Midha was informed by the central government, Jammu and Kashmir government and Delhi government that they have no objection if Sheikh Abdul Aziz is shifted to a detention home pending deportation.

The court was dealing with a letter sent by 32-year-old Aziz, through which he sought help to go back to his country.

A Tihar jail law officer told the court that necessary steps shall be taken to shift Aziz to the detention home meant for foreigners awaiting deportation.

The court told the central government to inform it about the time taken to deport the man.

"The central government shall inform as to how much time shall be taken for completing the formalities for deportation of the petitioner (Aziz) if at all he has to be deported to any country after determination of his nationality," it said.

Earlier, the central government told the court that there was some correspondence between the Indian government and the Saudi Arabian embassy in Delhi to confirm the nationality of Aziz.

However, the Saudi government claimed Aziz was not a Saudi national.

The court was hearing a case based on the letter sent by Aziz, who was sent to jail by a Srinagar court in 2006 for failing to give a satisfactory reason for travelling in India without a valid passport and visa.

Aziz had come to Bangladesh, from where he entered India through Kolkata. He remained in Odisha for some time and reached Srinagar through Delhi. He was apprehended July 27, 2005 in Srinagar and later sentenced to a year's imprisonment after being charged under the Foreigners Act.

While the Srinagar court directed the authorities to deport Aziz to his country within two months after his release, no efforts were made he said in the plea.

The Jammu and Kashmir government had told the court that the detention orders were passed due to apprehension of illegal activities by Aziz on his coming out of jail.

It said the state wanted him to be deported to the country of his origin and the central government was requested to take necessary steps but it did not even care to respond.