Supreme Court asks petitioner for whereabouts of Rohingya refugee children in Delhi

NGO Social Jurist moved the apex court assailing the Delhi High Court's October last year order refusing to examine the plea for their enrolment in local schools.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought details in connection with the place of residence of Rohingyas in Delhi, while hearing a plea seeking a direction for admission of their children to school.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh asked senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing the NGO, to file an affidavit as to where the Rohingyas are staying and the pockets of their residence.

By its PIL, NGO Rohingya Human Rights Initiative asked the apex court to quash a circular issued by Delhi’s AAP government on December 23, 2024, prohibiting government schools from admitting children of Rohingya refugees.

It urged the court to issue a direction to the Delhi government to grant admission to all Rohingya children free of cost whether or not the family holds an Aadhar card.

The bench, however, sought the affidavit from the NGO and fixed the matter for hearing in the second week of February.

At the outset, the bench told the petitioner's counsel that it is not keen to entertain the plea.

"The prayer pertains to Rohingyas in Delhi, why don't you go to the Delhi High Court," the bench asked Gonsalves.

The counsel said that there are 1,050 Rohingya refugees in Delhi and they are majorly concentrated in areas like Shaheen Bagh and Khazuri Khas. The bench asked Gonsalves to bring on record a detailed affidavit, whether they are living in normal residences or they are confined to camps.

"We will mould the nature of relief," the bench said.

The counsel said there was an urgency as "exams will start and they will be left out".

The bench said, "Exam will only be there if they are admitted".

The counsel said the identification was being done to prevent them from going ahead. He said that he would file all the details sought by the bench. The Delhi government circular directed for strict adherence to admission procedures and to verify students' documents to prevent the enrolment of illegal migrants.