On Wednesday, the Supreme Court deferred a decision on bringing back more than 800 Indian pilgrims stuck in Iran - including 250 who have since tested positive for the Covid-19 virus – agreeing with the government’s wait and watch policy on the issue.
A Ladakh resident had filed a petition before the top court seeking urgent intervention to get them back home.
The Bench, though, deferred a call on the matter after the government argued that it was doing all it can to take care of them in Iran. The government was also taking care of the 250 positive cases as well, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.
Some 850-odd pilgrims are stuck in Qom, Iran, after all flights were suspended to contain the spread of the pandemic.
SG Mehta on this said that some of the pilgrims had been brought back, but not all.
Arguing for the petitioner, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde said some of them had since tested positive for the virus and were at Iran’s mercy. They should also be brought back and quarantined here, he said.
SG Mehta countered by saying that they were being provided the best of facilities there.
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