SC flags 'sorry state of facilities' at detention centres in Assam

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Synopsis

Court has said it is troubled by the lack of water and sanitation facilities, and non-functioning toilets

Supreme Court of India has pulled up the authorities over the sorry state of affairs at Detention Centers in Assam.

"There are no proper toilets... no medical facilities. What are you managing?", a bench of Justices AS Oka and AG Masih questioned on Friday.

The bench made these observations after going through a report submitted by State Legal Services Authority, which it had asked on the last date, to constitute a team to visit the detention centres and find out the kind of facilities which were made available to the declared foreigners in the detention centre.

Accordingly, Assam Legal Services Authority has been asked to do a follow-up visit to examine not only the poor facilities as mentioned in the report but also quantity and quality of food and kitchen hygiene.

In May this year, Supreme Court had directed the Central government to deport 17 foreigners currently held in a detention center in Assam after noting that no criminal charges have been registered against them.

A Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan has added that a compliance report should be furnished over the same within two months.

State Legal Services Authority had submitted a report before the top court which confirmed the detention of 17 declared foreigners in the Assam detention center.

Top Court had in April sought information from the State Legal Services Authority of Assam regarding foreigners detained for more than two years in detention centers.

Case Title: Rajubala Das vs. Union of India