Nisha Ghosal
The Allahabad High Court Division Bench of Justices Ramesh Sinha and Samit Gopal observed that the petitioners concealed the fact that their Visa had already expired and they have stayed in the country for around nine years without any valid Visa.
The Court has also asked the government to inform on the reply it received from the Nigerian Embassy.
The Petitioners, Chinasa Victor Obioha and Chima Paul Ugochukwu, Nigerian Nationals, had filed a Habeas Corpus writ petition alleging their illegal detention by the authority.
The Bench said, “It is unfortunate that the Petitioners, who have come to this Court by challenging their illegal detention by the authority, have concealed the material fact that their Visa had already expired and they have remained in the Country without any valid Visa for about nine years and on account of the said fact, they have been arrested by the police on 24.9.2019.”
The Court sought a response from relevant authorities for the same.
It said, “The Additional Commissioner of Police, Gautam Budh Nagar is directed to file his personal affidavit in the matter within three days bringing on record the instruction which has been placed by learned A.G.A. before the Court today.”
The AGA had informed the Court that various letters were sent to the Nigerian Embassy in 2019 and 2020 to seek petitioners’ travel documents.