New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to verify the claims of a Srinagar-based man who alleged that he and his family, despite holding Indian passports, are being wrongfully deported as Pakistani nationals. The family was served deportation notices following the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N K Singh heard the plea filed by Ahmed Tariq Butt through advocate Nand Kishore. The court instructed authorities to examine the documents presented and to refrain from taking coercive action until a decision is made. “Let an appropriate decision be taken at the earliest, though we are not stating any timeline,” the bench observed, adding that this matter should not be treated as a precedent.
Butt claimed that he and five members of his family were issued deportation notices on April 25, 2025, by the Foreign Registration Office (FRO) in Srinagar. The notices reportedly accused the family of entering India in 1997 on Pakistani passports and overstaying their visas. The family, however, asserts they are Indian nationals with valid Indian passports issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The plea contends that Butt’s father, mother, sister, and younger brother were detained by Jammu and Kashmir Police on April 29 and transported to the India-Pakistan border the following day. “They are currently being forced to leave India from the border,” the petition states.
Butt, an MBA graduate from IIM Kerala, urged the top court to direct the release of his detained family members and to quash the deportation orders. He emphasized that all members of the family possess Indian documents, including Aadhaar cards, and have been long-time residents of Srinagar since relocating from Mirpur in 1997 and 2000.
The court noted that if the family is dissatisfied with the final decision of the authorities, they may approach the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and the FRO have yet to respond publicly to the allegations. The matter continues to raise questions about due process and identity verification in sensitive regions, especially in the aftermath of heightened security concerns following recent militant activity.
