Coronavirus: Delhi HC directs Centre to ensure students stranded in Iran are contacted by Embassy, seeks status report on the evacuation

The Delhi High Court today directed the Central Government to ensure that the Indian Embassy at Tehran contacts Indian students who are presently stranded in universities in Iran due to Coronavirus outbreak..A single Judge Bench of Justice Navin Chawla also directed the Central Government file a status report stating if any policy has been formulated to evacuate Indian citizens from Iran.."I am 100% sure that you (Centre) are doing everything but do a little more.", the Court remarked..The Court was hearing a petition preferred for evacuation of around 170 students from Iran..The Petition has been preferred by the parents of the students..The counsel for the Petitioners today asserted that as a matter of preference, the Centre was in the process of evacuating pilgrims from Iran while the students were left with no medical supplies in their university campuses..It was added that till date, in spite of providing the details of the whereabouts of the students in the Petition, no communication has been initiated by the authorities..In response, Centre argued that the evacuation process was ongoing and additional policies on evacuation of Indians from Iran are expected soon..Centre also refuted the Petitioners' claim that the Centre was evacuating its citizens on the basis of some preference..After hearing the parties, the Court directed that the students, especially whose details have been provided in the Petition, are contacted by the Embassy and given proper assurance.."Merely issuing advisory etc.. is not an assurance for them", the Court said..The Court also sought a status report disclosing the steps taken to evacuate Indian citizens.."You disclose how a priority is fixed, if any at all there is one...", it said..The Petitioners had moved the High Court last week asserting that their wards have been stranded in Iran due to suspension of flights in light of coronavirus outbreak..The High Court had thus issued notice to the Centre and had also sought a status report from the Central Government on the steps taken by it to evacuate Indian students..The matter would be heard next on March 17..Advocates Fozia Rahman and Sikander A Siddiqui represented the Petitioners. Standing counsel Anurag Ahluwalia represented the Centre.