Supreme Court to hear Rohingya refugees' plea today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Friday hear the petition filed by Rohingya Muslims challenging the government's stand to deport them back to Myanmar.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra will hear the petitions.

The bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said it will hear in details various aspects of the matter, including the Centre's preliminary objection that the issue fell under the domain of the executive and hence was not justifiable.

The apex court also asked Centre and two Rohingya Muslims, who have challenged to deport refugees to Myanmar, to desist from making emotional arguments and personal attacks and to file documents, including international conventions.

The apex court said it will hear the arguments only on the points of law and asked the parties to desist from advancing emotional arguments as the matter concerned humanitarian cause and humanity, which required to be heard with mutual respect.

The plea, filed by two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, claims they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there.

Many of those, who had fled to India after the earlier spate of violence, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.

Senior advocate Fali S Nariman, appearing for the petitioner Rohingya refugees, opposed the government stand and said the petition under Article 32 was maintainable as the Constitution guaranteed individual rights.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the government would not like the matter to be heard in a piecemeal manner as it has wide ramifications and added that it would prefer a day for detailed hearing.