JOIN USAn Israeli couple, against whom deportation orders were issued by the district administration, have been allowed to stay in the country till April 1.
The deportation order against them has been withdrawn, Ernakulam district collector P I Sheikh Pareeth told PTI. The couple— Sheneor Zalman, a Rabi(priest), and Yaffa Shenoi could stay in the country till April 1, but they cannot conduct group prayer meets, Pareeth said.
In their application to the Indian High Commission, the couple had said that they wanted to conduct prayer meetings. Since their visas do not mention it, a clarification in this regard has to be taken from the High Commission, he said.
On Tuesday, the Kerala High court had directed the couple to appear before the collector and offer their explanation on their petition challenging their deportation.
The couple had come to India in 2010 on a multiple entry visa. According to them, the deportation order was passed without hearing them, which was against the principles of natural justice, they stated in the petition. There were media reports claiming that central intelligence had received an alert about covert operations being carried out by suspected Israeli agents after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in which six Jews were killed in Chabad House.
An alert was sent to all the states and the Israeli couple were tracked by the police here, the report had stated, but there was no official confirmation.