‘Already managing population of 140 cr’’, SC rejects plea of Sri Lankan man facing deportation

The Supreme Court of India has reportedly dismissed a plea filed by a Sri Lankan national seeking to stay his deportation from the country. 

The man, previously convicted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged association with the banned organisation LTTE, had completed his sentence and has been housed in a refugee camp for the past three years, as per reports.

According to reports, the petitioner had entered India legally on a visa and later faced charges related to links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the Indian government. Initially sentenced to 10 years in prison by a trial court in 2018, his sentence was reduced to seven years by the Madras High Court, which also ordered his deportation upon completion of his jail term.

The individual approached the apex court, citing concerns over his safety if returned to Sri Lanka. He argued that his wife and children are now settled in India and pointed to delays in the deportation process as further grounds for seeking relief.

However, the Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and K Vinod Chandran, reportedly observed that India, already managing a population of over 140 crore, could not be treated as a ‘dharamshala’. 

The court held that the petitioner, having been convicted under national law, could not invoke constitutional protections such as Articles 19 and 21 in this context and should be deported.