Overview

• The Supreme Court has temporarily stayed the deportation of Ahmed Tariq Butt, a Bengaluru-based Accenture employee, and his family, pending verification of their Indian citizenship documents.
• The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has similarly stayed the deportation of a Poonch family, including a CRPF constable, citing prima facie evidence of their Indian residency.
• Both courts have directed authorities to verify petitioners' claims using land records, service documents, passports, and Aadhaar cards, with no coercive actions permitted during the process.
• The deportation orders stem from heightened security and diplomatic measures following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians and was linked to Pakistan-based militants.
• The High Court will next hear the Poonch family case on May 20, while the Supreme Court has clarified its decisions are case-specific and not to be treated as precedents.