Stay where you are: SC to NRIs stranded abroad

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed that Indians stranded in other parts of the world should “stay where they are” as currently it is not possible to fly them back home.
“Ask them to stay where they are, people in other countries cannot be brought back right now,” said a bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde.
The observations came while the court was hearing a batch of peititions pertaining to evacuation of Indian citizens stranded abroad amid the outbreak of the coronavirus. Seven petitions were heard one by one, each seeking directions from the court on their immediate evacuation from UK, US, Iran and Gulf countries.
While the hearing on a petition related to the evacuation of people from the United States was being heard, the Solicitor General of India told the court people across the globe are getting visa extensions amid the worldwide spread of the pandemic.
The court will hear the batch of petitions after four weeks. However, the Centre has been directed to file its reply in the petitions relating to evacuation of students from the U.S. and Gulf nations by April 20. (IANS)