HC notice to Centre on stranded Indians in Malaysia

The Madras High Court has ordered notice to the Centre on a plea to bring about 350 stranded Indians back from Malaysia due to the COVID-19 lockdown. A special division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice R Hemalatha issued the notice to the union external affairs ministry on the PIL moved by advocate M Gnanasekar and posted the matter for further hearing after a week.

According to the petitioner, his client Mullainathan had telephoned him from Malaysia on April 4, saying he visited Malaysia on a tourist visa and was now unable to come back to India due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The petitioner was further informed that besides his client and his family there are over 350 Indians are stranded in Malaysia and they were unable to move out of Malaysia due to the cancellation of the flight operations following the lockdown.

"Though my client and others had made several appeals to the Indian High Commission in Malaysia and the Malaysian government to make arrangements for their travel back to India, neither of the authorities has made any effort so far," the petitioner said. All the 350 Indians are stranded at Malaysia for no fault of theirs since March 20... Unexpected and unprecedented events had happened, preventing them from exercising their right of travel from foreign country to the country of their origin," the petitioner said.