The Supreme Court was hearing today a writ petition filed by Fathima Ahana Muhammed Ashraf, an MBBS student at National Medical University in Odessa, Ukraine, seeking relief for herself and other people stuck in Ukraine due to the continuing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.
[ Ukraine – Russia Conflict ]
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) March 4, 2022
Supreme Court Bench headed by CJI Ramana to hear today two petitions seeking evacuation of Indian students stranded in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.#RussiaUkraine #IndianStudents #Russia #UkraineRussiaConflict pic.twitter.com/FwENImrLXe
The petition requested that the Government of India secure permission for the Petitioner and other stranded students from Ukraine to cross the checkpoint in Moldova en route to Romania for boarding the Air India evacuation flight.
Senior Advocate AM Dar, Adv Danish Majid Dar, and Advocate Abhay Anand Jena filed the plea, saying that Fathima Ahana Mohamed Ashraf, together with 250 other medical students, were trapped at the Moldova border on the Ukrainian side.
Representing the Government of India, Attorney General KK Venugopal stated in the court today that the petitioner, along with 250 other stranded students have crossed over to Romania, and will be brought back to India by a special flight.
Attorney General KK Venugopal tells Supreme Court that minister Jyotiraditya Scindia contacted the petitioner student who was stranded at Ukraine border & now has crossed over to Romania & will be brought back by special flight to India tonight along with other persons by tonight
— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2022
The AG submitted in the court that he communicated the Court’s views yesterday to PK Mishra IAS, the Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office, who then passed them to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is currently deployed in Romania to oversee the rescue efforts.
“She has been contacted, they’ll transfer by plane today. This information was given by Mr Mishra. Fathima Ahana and the persons accompanying her should be in India by today night,” the AG told the bench.
Advocate Vishal Tiwari has also filed a PIL seeking orders for the security of students and families stuck in Ukraine as a result of the current crisis.
During the hearing, the CJI slammed Advocate Vishal Tiwari about his intention to file a Public Interest Litigation in the case, and if he was seeking publicity by exploiting the circumstance. The CJI reminded him that he had seen on the Supreme Court website that Tiwari had previously filed a number of PILs that had been rejected with penalties.
“If you want to do something this isn’t the way to file petitions with paper cuttings etc. You know this is a sensitive situation, we can’t say anything, don’t try to take advantage”, CJI told Tiwari.
The Court also directed Attorney General Venugopal to exert his influence to assist Indian students stuck in Ukraine as a result of the Russian incursion. The Attorney General stated that the government is worried in the same way as the Court is. The case will be heard by the Court next Friday.
