Foreigners' Detention Centre: Gauhati High Court Grants 45 Days To Assam Govt For Completing Construction, Shifting Detenues

In a petition concerning detention of foreign illegal migrants, the Gauhati High Court recently granted 45 days' time to the Assam Government for completing the construction of a detention centre at Matia, Goalpara and shifting of detenues to the same thereafter.

Justice Kalyan Rai Surana also directed the Secretary of Assam Government, Home and Political Department to file an updated status report with regards to the status of construction at the end of 45 days while posting the matter for further hearing on September 30.

The development comes in the petitions filed by Santhanu Borthakur, Abantee Dutta, Dipika Sarkar raising the issue as to the manner in which the detention centers are required to be operated for the purpose of keeping the foreigners/illegal migrants and others who are awaiting deportation/repatriation to the countries of their origin or waiting an adjudication of their respective claim.

Earlier, the High Court had directed the State Government to take steps for shifting the said foreign illegal immigrants to detentions centres outside the jail premises.

In view thereof, the Government apprised the Court that expeditious steps were being taken to complete the construction work of a said detention centre at Matia. Accordingly, the Advocate General sought six weeks' time to complete the construction activity and shift 177 detenues presently lodged in various detention centres across the State. It was stated that the said detenues have not been able to provide the necessary documents, which the State has been insisting in order to release them.

"As the Court does not find the prayer of the learned Advocate General to be unreasonable, the Court is inclined to grant 45 (forty five) days time as prayed to the State as to complete the construction of the proposed detention centre and to shift the detenues to the said centre," the Court said.

In a recent development, the State of Assam renamed 'Detention Centres' as 'transit camps'.

Title: SANTANU BORTHAKUR v. THE STATE OF ASSAM

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