High Court seeks list of persons stranded in Malaysia for want of money

A division bench comprising Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana sought the list after the petitioner who moved the plea about 256 Tamils stuck there submitted that some of them managed to return to India by making their own arrangement while there were many struck in Malaysia because of paucity of funds.

Following this, the bench directed the petitioner to file a fresh affidavit and list of the persons stranded in Malaysia and could not return to India only because of lack of money in hand. The undertaking should also state that if the central government made arrangement for their return, the returnees would be willing to reimburse the expenses incurred in this regard, the bench added.

The petitioner, M Gnanasekar, appearing as party-in-person, submitted that 256 people who got stranded in Malaysia wanted to return to India. But because of the lock down imposed by the Centre, they are unable to fly back as only limited international fights were permitted to operate, more by way of evacuation process undertaken by the Centre.

Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan submitted that the central government would not meet the cost of travel of these persons who have gone to Malaysia on tourist visas. The plea has been posted for further hearing to May 21.