SC asks govt to decide on man's plea for extradition of daughter who joined ISIS in Afghanistan

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to decide upon a plea by a man from Kerala for the extradition of his daughter, along with his grandchild, lodged in Afghanistan's Pul-e-Charkhi jail after she had left India to join terrorist organisation ISIS.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai said the Centre should decide the representation made by V J Sebastian Francis within eight weeks.

The court allowed the petitioner to approach the High Court if he remained aggrieved with the decision taken by the Centre.

The man feared that after exit of the US from Afghanistan, foreign terrorist fighters could be hanged.

The plea filed by Francis said necessary action should be taken by authorities concerned to extradite his daughter Sonia Sebastian alias Ayisha and his granddaughter, who is seven-year-old.

Also read: India is sending 10 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses to Afghanistan

"Internationally, a lenient approach has been taken against the women foreign terrorist fighters...owing to the stand taken by the countries that women only played ancillary roles and therefore could not pose any significant threat to national security," his plea stated.

He claimed the issue was urgent in as many substantial changes, politically and administratively, had been undertaken in Afghanistan, after the exit of the US troops.

The plea contended that the Centre was not facilitating extradition of the detenues which was illegal and unconstitutional. It also violated fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.

A case under stringent anti-terror law UAPA was registered against Ayisha, after she left India and the Interpol had also issued a Red Corner notice against her in March 2017.

The plea said after reaching Afghanistan, Ayisha’s husband was killed in the war.

After his death, the woman and the child had to surrender to the Afghan forces on November 15, 2019, along with some other women, said the plea.

The petitioner claimed that his daughter regretted her decision to join ISIS and she wanted to return to India and face a fair trial before a court.

Ayisha had made this statement during an interview with Stratnews Global, which was uploaded as a documentary titled “Khorasan Files: The journey of Indian Islamic State Widows” on YouTube on March 15, 2020.

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