The Supreme Court on Friday responded to a petition that alleged 43 Rohingya refugees were forcibly deported from India and abandoned in international waters. The Court described the petition as a “beautifully crafted story” but said it lacked material evidence.

Two Rohingya refugees residing in Delhi filed the petition. They claimed that authorities deported members of their community through Port Blair. According to them, officials blindfolded and restrained the refugees aboard naval ships.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh heard the plea. The petitioners asked the Court to intervene, alleging that police detained members of their community under the pretext of collecting biometric data, and later deported them through Port Blair, blindfolded and restrained on naval ships.

The bench declined to issue any interim orders. It stated that the petition lacked material evidence and made vague, evasive and sweeping statements.

Justice Kant questioned the foundation of the petition. He asked, “Every time, you have a new story. Now (where) is this beautifully crafted story coming from? ...Who was clicking the videos and photos? How did he come back? What is the material on record?”

He added, “When the country is going through such a tough time, you bring up these fanciful petitions.”

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves appeared on behalf of the petitioners. He informed the Court that the United Nations Human Rights Office had taken cognisance of the allegations and initiated an inquiry. He urged the Court to hear the matter the following week. “Time is against us. Please hear this next week. The UN report says they were picked up and sent,” he said.

Gonsalves offered to place certain reports and a tape recording, allegedly from the Myanmar shores, on record. The Court replied that although lawyers could place such material before the bench, they should remember that “foreign reports cannot override Indian sovereignty.”

Justice Kant further noted that a similar issue had already been raised before a three-judge bench, which included both judges currently hearing this case, along with Justice Dipankar Datta. That bench was handling other matters concerning Rohingya refugees.

Justice Kant remarked, “We were sitting in three-judge bench composition... stay was declined on the same matter and now you are before us here on the basis of the same material.”

The Court decided to refer the matter back to the original three-judge bench.

It tagged the current petition with other pending cases on Rohingya deportation and scheduled the next hearing for July 31.