Jammu and Kashmir HC orders return of 63-year-old woman deported to Pakistan
Jammu: In a significant order, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to facilitate the return of a 63-year-old woman, Rakshanda Rashid, who was recently deported to Pakistan despite having lived in Jammu for nearly four decades.
According to a report by The Wire, Justice Rahul Bharti, while passing the order on June 6, observed, “Human rights are the most sacrosanct component of human life… this court is coming up with a direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India (GOI), to bring back the petitioner from her deportation.”
Rakshanda Rashid, originally from Pakistan, had been residing in Jammu for the past 38 years with her husband, a retired government official, and their two children. Her deportation came in the wake of heightened crackdowns on Pakistani nationals following the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Despite holding a long-term visa (LTV), Rashid was deported abruptly. Her daughter, Falak Sheikh, informed The Wire that her mother had applied for Indian citizenship in 1996, but the application has yet to be processed. "She was here on an LTV, yet she was deported. She has no relatives in Pakistan and is currently alone in a hotel in Lahore," Sheikh said.
She further expressed concern over Rashid's dwindling resources. "She took only ₹50,000 with her due to the currency cap at the border. She has no local SIM because foreign phones don’t work there, and international roaming costs ₹30,000–40,000, which she cannot afford."
The court took note of her deteriorating health, the absence of a support system in Pakistan, and the lack of due process in her deportation. Justice Bharti remarked that Rashid's LTV status "may not have warranted her deportation" and questioned the absence of a proper deportation order.
The petitioner’s husband, Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed, stated that his wife is suffering from multiple ailments and is "left to fend for herself as abandoned."
The court's directive mandates the Centre to act within 10 days. However, as per her counsel Ankur Sharma, the Jammu and Kashmir authorities had not acted upon the court's order as of the date of the report.
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HC grants conditional permission for RSS guard of honour in Chittapur on November 16
Kalaburagi: The Kalaburagi Bench of the Karnataka High Court has granted the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) permission to hold a guard of honour in Chittapur on Sunday, November 16, under certain conditions.
The Chittapur tahsildar had refused permission for an RSS guard of honour on October 19, citing law and order issues. The order was challenged in court by petitioner Ashok Patil.
Justice MGS Kamal, who heard the case on Thursday, granted conditional permission for the RSS event, with 300 members and a band strength of 50 persons.
