India not a signatory, UNHCR card not valid here, says court
Representative image
THANE: Additional sessions judge G T Pawar on Monday sentenced eight Rohingya Muslims to two years of simple imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000 each for illegally entering and residing in India without proper documentation.
The court also ordered their deportation to Myanmar upon completion of their sentence. A ninth accused, who was charged with abetting their illegal entry, was acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
The case dates back to Feb 2024, when the police received a tip-off about some foreign nationals living near the Uttan shore. During a raid at Chowkgaon, police found several individuals attempting to flee. Upon detention, they were found carrying UNHCR cards that confirmed their Myanmar citizenship.
However, the court clarified that such cards hold no legal value in India, as the country is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol.
Letters from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office and police authorities further confirmed that holders of UNHCR cards are not permitted to reside in India.
Judge Pawar cited SC's ruling in Mohammad Salimullah vs Union of India (2021), which allowed for the deportation of Rohingya Muslims following due procedure.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
¿Padece una enfermedad renal crónica (ERC)?
Trialbee
Más información
Undo
The court also referred to past judgments stating that the burden of proving citizenship lies on the accused. During sentencing, the accused appealed for mercy on humanitarian grounds, stating that conditions in Myanmar were unsafe. However, the court rejected the plea, noting that India's population burden and internal security concerns override such considerations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
Middle East tensions: Are Indians being forced to leave Israel? What embassy said
NEW DELHI: Indian embassy in Israel dismissed the reports that Indians were being "forced" to leave Israel amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Sharing a social media forward which was falsely being attributed to the embassy, it cautioned against fake news and advised the citizens to refer to the official accounts and handles for any updates. "A message is being circulated on social media claiming that Indian workers in Israel will be forced to return to India or face jail/fine if they register with the Indian Embassy, this is fake," it said in a post on X. "Do not believe or forward such misinformation. Always rely on official updates from @Indemtel (Embassy of India, Tel Aviv) for accurate information. Registration of Indian nationals in Israel not only enables the Embassy to reach out to them in times of distress but also helps them avail various facilities and welfare schemes of the Government of India," it added. Earlier this week, the ministry of external affairs had notified that under Operation Sindhu, the government would evacuate from Israel "those Indian nationals who wish to leave." It had also called upon all Indian nationals in Israel to register with the embassy. "In view of the above, the Embassy of India in Tel Aviv would be making arrangements for the evacuation of Indians. All Indian nationals are requested to register themselves with the Embassy of India in Tel Aviv at ( ), if not already registered. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 年最紓壓的農場遊戲！無需安裝 東加：島嶼農場 立即播放 Undo In case of any queries, they may contact the 24/7 Control Room established at Embassy of India, Tel Aviv: telephone numbers: +972 54-7520711; +972 54-3278392; email: it said. Meanwhile, as part of Operation Sindhu, India's ongoing effort to evacuate its citizens amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, a special flight from Iran carrying 290 Indians—including students and religious pilgrims—arrived at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport late Friday night. Additionally, a Mahan Air evacuation flight carrying 256 Indian students, mostly from Kashmir, arrived safely in Delhi on Saturday.
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
Ukraine says received Russian bodies in war dead exchanges
Kyiv received the bodies of 20 Russian soldiers instead of Ukrainian ones during exchanges of war dead with Moscow, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks made public Saturday. He accused Russia of "not checking" who they were sending, and suggested Moscow might be doing it on purpose to conflate the number of Ukrainian bodies they had. The repatriation of fallen soldiers and the exchange of prisoners of war has been one of the few areas of cooperation between the warring sides since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nunca use o saca-rolhas para abrir um vinho. O motivo vai te surpreender Blog Amo Vinhos Undo Moscow and Kyiv agreed earlier this month during talks in Istanbul to exchange the bodies of 6,000 soldiers each. "It has already been confirmed during repatriations that the bodies of 20 people handed over to us as our deceased soldiers are Russian," Zelensky said in remarks released on Saturday. Live Events "Sometimes these bodies even have Russian passports," he added. An "Israeli mercenary" fighting for Moscow was also among those sent, he said. Tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed on both sides since the war began. Neither country regularly releases information on military casualties. Zelensky said there were currently "695,000 Russian troops" on Ukrainian territory.
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Iran-Israel war news: Alarming reports claim sleeper cells may be deployed across western nations by Tehran
Iran sleeper cell terror threat: Is the West prepared for Tehran's desperate response to Israeli strikes?- Iran sleeper cell threat is once again under the spotlight as Western intelligence agencies raise alarm about Tehran's increasing desperation amid heavy Israeli strikes. With Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei forced into hiding and Iran's military leadership in disarray, security experts warn that the regime could now resort to activating its global network of sleeper agents to retaliate. These individuals, embedded across Western nations, may receive orders to target public spaces, religious sites, or high-profile political figures — including U.S. President Donald Trump, who remains a top target due to his role in the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020. Could Iran's sleeper cells be waiting for a signal to attack in the West? Security analysts fear that Iranian sleeper cells, long suspected to be lying low in Western nations, could be preparing for activation. Barak Seener, a defense analyst at the Henry Jackson Society, told The Sun that Tehran's vulnerability may make it more dangerous than ever. 'They live amongst us in regular communities… when given the signal, they already know what they are going to be doing,' Seener said. This comes at a time when Iran's top military command has been dismantled by Israeli strikes. With nuclear facilities under attack and missile stockpiles destroyed, asymmetric warfare through hidden operatives may be Iran's only remaining card. Targets could include embassies, public infrastructure, synagogues, or even dirty bomb attacks in urban areas like Central London. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Clay Travis Supports IFCJ & Israel IFCJ | The Fellowship Donate Now Undo Was there really a plot to assassinate President Trump? Yes, and it wasn't a vague threat. Last year, U.S. prosecutors charged Iranian national Farhad Shakeri with plotting the assassination of then-President-elect Donald Trump. According to the charges, Shakeri was instructed by an IRGC official to prepare a seven-day plan to carry out surveillance and potentially kill Trump as revenge for ordering the drone strike that killed IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020. Former National Security Adviser John Bolton confirmed that Trump remains 'at the top' of Iran's assassination list. The attack would have sparked a global crisis, and experts say it signals how far Iran is willing to go to exact revenge on perceived enemies. Live Events How many Iran-linked plots have been uncovered in the UK? At least 15 Iran-linked terror plots, including kidnappings and assassination attempts, have been disrupted in the UK in recent years, according to counter-terrorism officials. MI5 has warned of a 'sharp rise' in threats against Iranian dissidents, especially following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks that heightened tensions in the Middle East. In 2023, journalist Pouria Zeraati was stabbed outside his London home. He had been reporting on human rights abuses by the Iranian regime for Iran International. UK police believe the attackers were Iranian proxy agents who fled the country within hours of the assault. Zeraati called the attack a 'warning shot' from Tehran. Why hasn't the UK officially declared the IRGC a terrorist group? Despite mounting pressure, the British government has not yet formally designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. Critics, including analyst Barak Seener, argue that this loophole allows IRGC-linked operatives to operate within mosques, charities, and community centers in the UK, some of which have directors appointed directly by Khamenei. Kasra Aarabi of United Against Nuclear Iran stated: 'The IRGC is the most antisemitic armed Islamist extremist organization in the world. The failure to proscribe it is putting British lives at risk.' MI5 reports that since 2022, there have been 20 IRGC-backed plots targeting individuals on UK soil. Is Iran preparing for a new wave of global terror? Intelligence sources across Europe and the U.S. fear that Iran is preparing to unleash a global campaign of terror as retaliation for ongoing military losses and international isolation. The IRGC supports groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, both already designated terrorist organizations in the UK and U.S. But experts warn Iran might now take direct action through sleeper agents in the West. Reporters Without Borders found that nearly 50% of journalists covering Iran from the UK reported physical or verbal threats, with some receiving anthrax hoaxes or threats targeting their families. A female journalist was even threatened on a London bus with the chilling words: 'We will kill you.' Major General Hossein Salami of the IRGC warned in 2022: 'You've tried us before. Watch out because we're coming for you.' This threat now feels more urgent than ever as the regime's stability crumbles. What's at stake for Western nations? With Iran's regime increasingly cornered and under siege from Israeli forces, the potential activation of sleeper cells across Europe and the U.S. could lead to a sharp spike in domestic terror threats. These operatives, trained and guided by the IRGC, may see their mission as martyrdom — not just revenge. The stakes are high. Experts say this isn't just about regional conflict anymore. It's a global security challenge — one that could see targets as high-profile as President Trump or as commonplace as journalists, dissidents, or local places of worship. And unless governments act swiftly — particularly the UK — to label the IRGC as a terrorist group and cut off its influence networks, more lives may be at risk. FAQs: Q1. What is the Iran sleeper cell threat in the West? Iran may activate sleeper agents in Western countries to carry out terrorist attacks if it feels cornered. Q2. Why is President Trump a target in Iran's terror plot? Iran reportedly plotted to assassinate President Trump in revenge for killing General Soleimani in 2020.
