Let govt handle situation, says SC on plea to evacuate fishermen from Iran

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to issue any order on a plea for evacuation of hundreds of fishermen, stuck in Iran since suspension of flights on emergence of COVID-19 pandemic.

A bench of Justices N V Raman, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B R Gavai said the government should be allowed to handle the situation as per the prevailing conditions.

The court, however, asked the Union government to "look into" and "attend to" grievances of the petitioner that fishermen were not able to get supply of essentials due to non payment of bills.

"The situation has gone out of hand across the world. Indian Embassy should be informed about these issues and action should be taken," the bench said,.disposing of a PIL by Tamil Nadu woman Santha Muthulingam.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayana, appearing for the petitioner, said there must be repatriation of fishermen from Iran as the government's status report stated that they were in a remote area and it was difficult to reach them.

"Fishermen are not being given water, food etc. There needs to be some steps to give aid to them.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, however, said there was an inter provincial lockdown in Iran.

"We are in touch with embassy of Iran. The Iranian authorities have been in touch with them. They are on a long term visa. In view of interprovincial lockdown in Iran, there were mpediments in travel to remote location," he said.

Embassy officials have been in touch with over 1000 Indian fishermen over phone, making arrangement for food and other supplies.

Sankaranarayana, however, pointed out there was a memo, showing that bills for food was raised by the company given charge of supplying food three weeks ago. The company has not been paid by Indian embassy. There has been no food supply of food supplies to them for the last three weeks, he alleged.

The counsel said the fishermen were stranded in their boats.

Denying the charges, Mehta said the fighermen were not on boats. They are there on a long term visas.

The woman-petitioner from Salem in Tamil Nadu asked the court to direct the government to evacuate 860 Indian fishermen, including her husband, stranded on boats, in life threatening situation, in the coast of Iran, following suspension of flights and travel.