The State government on Thursday informed the High Court of Karnataka that it has identified 35 spaces for temporary Foreigners Detention Centres (FDC) in all the districts for lodging illegal immigrants after they are either released on bail or on completion of imprisonment in criminal cases.
The government also told the court that 612 cases had been registered against 866 foreigners for overstaying their visa period, and for violation of various laws, including provisions of Indian Penal Code and Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Submissions in this regard were made before Justice K.N. Phaneendra during the hearing of petitions filed by Babul Khan and Taniya, illegal immigrants from Bangladesh seeking bail. The court is monitoring the actions initiated by the State to identify overstaying foreigners and setting up of FDCs.
When the judge asked about detention centre in Bengaluru city, State Public Prosecutor-II V.S. Hegde said that Devraj Urs Bhavan in Doddaballapura had been identified to serve as FDC due to security reasons.
On procedure to be followed in case of illegal immigrants or overstaying foreigners, Assistant Solicitor General of India C. Shashikantha told the court that overstaying foreigners and illegal immigrants will have to be kept in FDCs in India till deportation. However, in case their country disowns them, then as per international conventions they have to be permanently lodged in FDCs and to be looked after till death.
Noticing from the records of 866 foreigners facing criminal cases that many of them have were untraceable after their release on bail, the Bench observed that foreigners required to be kept in FDCs till their deportation on their release from jail after completion of sentence in cases of conviction or on their release on bail during trial.
The court adjourned further hearing till November 26 while directing the State to file affidavit on FDCs in the city and how many foreigners were languishing in jails even after completion of sentence.
