New Delhi Mar 4 (LAB) The Supreme Court today expressed its happiness over the steps taken by the Centre for evacuation of Indian students stranded in the war-torn country of Ukraine.
A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Hima Kohli while hearing a plea seeking direction to the Centre to evacuate the Indian students stranded on the Russian border in the middle of the war, without food and water, expressed its concern over students stranded in Ukraine.
Attorney General K.K. Venugopal informed the Court that he has spoken to Principal Secretary P.K. Mishra over the situation and said that the Union Minster Jyotirajya Scindia is already stationed in Romania to oversee the evacuation and rescue operations. Scindia contacted the petitioner who was stranded at the Ukraine border and has now crossed over to Romania. She along with others will be brought back to India by a special flight tonight the AG said.
“We personally thank you Mr AG for this step,” The chief justice said. Senior Advocate A.M. Dar also thanked the AG for the efforts and said all students will be in India soon.
The CJI asked about the status of all other Indian citizens in Ukraine.
The AG replied that the Government of India is taking all steps to evacuate the Indian citizens. It’s swiftly evacuating and about 17,000 Indians have already been evacuated the AG said.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a cabinet meeting to have further evacuation and everything is being taken care of by the Government at its utmost level. He further informed the bench that it is hard for the government to reply as a large number of petitions are being filed across the country. A similar petition was filed in the Rajasthan High Court also the AG said.
Chief Justice Ramana asked the AG to apprise all the High Courts in the country that the Supreme Court is seized of the matter and they need not hear this. He further asked the AG for an online helpline for parents and students at a Central level.
“The Centre is as concerned as your lordship,” replied the AG. “We are not saying a single word about the Centre. We appreciate, but we are concerned about these students,” observed the Bench.
The petition was filed by a student Fatima Ahana who sought directions to the Centre to take immediate and effective diplomatic steps and measures for the evacuation of the petitioner and other stranded students from Ukraine to India and a further direction to the government to ensure the essential and emergency supplies like medical, housing and lodging facilities and supply of food and other essential necessities to the petitioner.
That, the Petitioner along with 250 other stranded students from National Medical University in Odessa, Ukraine have sought the intervention of the Respondent to secure permission to cross the checkpoint in Moldova from Ukraine en route to Romania for boarding the Air India evacuation flight. The Petitioner along with other students have on their own arranged buses to reach the Moldovan border, which is 10 Hours drive to Romania. However, the Respondent has miserably failed to provide any kind of assistance for facilitating the crossing of the Moldova border.
The temperature at Moldovan border is -7 degrees centigrade and the Petitioner along with other students are left stranded in the freezing cold, without shelter, food, water and money. Moreover, it is learnt that those who have already reached Romania for boarding the evacuation flight on February 26, 2022, are still waiting for a response from the Government, as there were fewer flights operating, which was a matter of great concern, as even if the petitioner reached Romania, there was no certainty that she would be able to board the evacuation flight.
The petitioner sought court intervention to direct the government of India to cross the checkpoint in Moldova from Ukraine en route to Romania for boarding the Air India evacuation flight and to immediately take effective diplomatic steps and measures for the evacuation of the Petitioner including other stranded students from Ukraine to India.
The petitioner sought that the government of India should ensure that the essential and emergency supplies like medical, housing and lodging facilities, supply of food and other essential necessities reach the affected people in time. and to protect the life and liberty of the stranded students during the present Russia and Ukraine conflict.
The matter will now be heard next Friday.