The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would hear a fresh plea  on March 25 seeking immediate release of detained Rohingya refugees in Jammu and restrain the Centre from implementing any order deporting them to Myanmar. A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde, which initially observed that there was no urgency, took note of the submissions of lawyer Prashant Bhushan that the detained Rohingyas may be deported to Myanmar where the Army has taken over and violence is taking place.

“Ok, then we will hear the Rohingya matter on Thursday,” said the bench which also comprised Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.

On March 11, an interim plea was filed in a pending PIL (public interest litigation) seeking immediate release of detained Rohingya refugees in Jammu and restrain the Centre from deporting them.

The plea also sought direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs to expeditiously grant refugee identification cards through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for Rohingyas in informal camps.

The application filed by Mohammad Salimullah, a Rohingya refugee through advocate Bhushan, said that it is filed in public interest in order to secure and protect the right against deportation of refugees in India.

The plea said that it is filed to protect rights guaranteed under Article 14 and Article 21, read with Article 51(c) of the Constitution, against the deportation of Rohingya refugees who have taken refuge in India after escaping widespread violence and discrimination against their community in Myanmar.