Contact Indian students stranded in Iran due to coronavirus outbreak: Delhi HC to Centre

Delhi High Court directed Centre on Thursday to ensure that Indian embassy in Iran gets in touch with Indian students stranded re in wake of coronavirus outbreak, inste of "merely issuing visories", and to assure m of all assistance.

Justice Navin Chawla asked central government to "do a little more" than what it has been doing till w to evacuate over 3,000 Indian nationals, including pilgrims, fishermen and students, presently stranded in Iran.

Central government standing counsel Anurag Ahluwalia, representing ministries of home, external affairs, health and aviation, told court that mass evacuation was presently t possible as firstly, Iran has banned all commercial flights with India from February 26 onwards and secondly, those stranded re have to be tested for coronavirus before y can be brought back.

Ahluwalia said re was local support on ground from Iranian authorities and it took several rounds of negotiations before y allowed Indian scientists to set up a lab re to take samples from Indian citizens and allowed an Indian Air Force plane to evacuate 58 nationals, including 25 women and 2 children.

He said embassy re was in contact with Indian nationals presently in that country and visories have been issued to m on following health protocols issued by World Health Organisation (WHO).

government counsel also said embassy officials were travelling to all locations where Indians were stranded to assure m of all possible assistance for ir safe and early return.

court, however, said, "Merely issuing visories was t going to help. That is assurance. You kw where students are. You have to contact m. t doing so will t be tolerated. Get in touch with m and give a report by Tuesday (March 17)."

court was hearing a plea moved by parents of Indian students, who are stranded in Iran due to travel restrictions following coronavirus outbreak, seeking directions to Centre to evacuate m.

vocates Sikander A Siddiqui and Fozia Rahman, who appeared for parents, told court that government was giving priority to Indian pilgrims who are scattered across Iran inste of students who can be easily located.

y said students have been quarantined in ir university hostels and re has been contact from Indian embassy in Iran.

submissions were disputed by Ahluwalia who said evacuation of Indian nationals was an ongoing process which will take time and government was t distinguishing between students and pilgrims.

He said after swab samples of Indian nationals are brought back here and tested, n only y can be transported back here.

He furr told court that all possible efforts are being me to work out modalities to operate a limited number of flights to enable early and safe return of Indians stranded in Iran.

court, reafter, directed government to come up with a positive plan regarding evacuation of students and steps taken so far to provide m with medical and or assistance.