Examine visa applications of blacklisted Tablighi: Supreme Court

NEW DELHI:  The Supreme Court Thursday directed the authorities to examine future applications for a grant of visa to be filed by those foreigners, who were blacklisted from travelling to India for 10 years for alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities, on a case-to-case basis in accordance with the law.

The apex court was hearing the pleas, including those challenging the orders blacklisting several citizens of 35 countries from travelling to India for 10 years for alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities. A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar noted that solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, has in ‘all fairness’ submitted that separate blacklisting order has not been served on the petitioners.

“In that view of the matter, we direct the concerned authorities to examine the future applications for grant of visa to be made by the petitioners or similarly placed persons on a case-to-case basis in accordance with the law,” the bench, which comprised Justices A S Oka and J B Pardiwala, said.

The top court said that while considering such applications, it would be open to the authorities to take into account all aspects of the matter as may be permissible in law. The bench observed that though several questions of law were raised before it by both sides, ‘we do not wish to dilate on those matters in the peculiar facts of the present case inasmuch as the petitioners before us have already left India consequent to cancellation of visa’.