BENGALURU: Even while the Home department chooses to remain silent over the existence of a detention centre in Nelamangala taluk’s Sondekoppa village, The New Indian Express has found that a set of around 14 people, whose bail applications are pending in court, will the first ones to be housed here.
That is, if bail is granted.
According to a senior advocate, two Bangladeshis, three Nigerians and a few other overstaying students have applied for bail under the Foreigners’ Act.
“If they are granted bail, then as per mandate, they have to be deported to their respective countries. We have already submitted to court in October that the detention centre will be ready in January, and we will shift those who have been granted bail,” said the advocate, on condition of anonymity.
The detention centre, located on about half-an-acre and 20 guntas of land in Sondekoppa, has five rooms which can house about 25 people. Sources confirmed that it is for that reason that groceries have also been stocked up.
Interestingly, exactly a year ago, the Modi government had sent out a ‘Model detention centre/holding centre manual’ to Karnataka, along with all other state governments and Union Territories, for implementation and compliance.
A senior official said on condition of anonymity, “The model has been followed in setting up the Nelamangala centre. We have just followed orders in the manual which was given to us.”
He also said, “The manual clearly says that illegal immigrants who have entered the country with fake documents, and also those who have been declared foreigners by tribunals, and are awaiting deportation. The centre will have medical facilities. A maximum of about one month is the time limit for state governments to deport the illegal immigrants,” he said.
The centre has a garden outside its premises to ensure that the inmates “maintain a standard of living in consonance with human dignity” as mentioned in the manual. It is being guarded by five policemen.
The State Public Prosecutor -II had made a submission before Justice KN Phaneendra, during the hearing of bail applications filed by illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, that 35 temporary foreigners’ detention centres were identified in various districts and commissionerates across the state.
The temporary detention centres will be cancelled as the one in Nelamangala is ready, said a senior advocate.