India’s Rohingya Deportations Draw Judicial Scrutiny Amid Rights Concerns

India’s Supreme Court on Friday refused to hear an urgent plea challenging the deportation of 43 Rohingya refugees, dismissing the petition as a “finely crafted story” without evidence. The bench, led by Justices Suryakant and Koteshwar Singh, deferred the case to July 31, rejecting interim relief and citing its May 8 ruling upholding deportations.

The petition alleged refugees—registered with UNHCR—were forcibly taken to the Andaman Sea and abandoned in international waters. Advocate Colin Gonsalves cited UN reports of naval involvement, pleading, “Hear before they die,” but the court demanded concrete proof.

The decision reinforces India’s hardline stance under the BJP government, which has faced criticism for policies like the CAA that exclude Muslim migrants while deporting Rohingya to Myanmar, where persecution risks are well-documented. Bangladesh recently detained 123 individuals allegedly pushed by Indian authorities, including three Indians—highlighting the policy’s spillover effects. Rights groups warn such measures erode India’s secular commitments and violate international law.