Overview

• The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court stayed the deportation of four Poonch residents, including a CRPF constable, accused of being Pakistani nationals.
• The petitioners presented land revenue records from 2014 and government service documents to support their claim of Indian citizenship.
• Justice Rahul Bharti ruled there was sufficient prima facie evidence to grant interim protection, pending government objections and further investigation.
• The Deputy Commissioner of Poonch has been directed to submit a detailed affidavit on the petitioners' landholdings and legal status by mid-May.
• The case arises from tightened migration controls following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which led to the suspension of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme and mass visa cancellations.