SC summons Assam Chief Secy on April 8

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday expressed unhappiness over several thousand declared foreign nationals absconding and amalgamating with the local population in Assam, and summoned the state's chief secretary to appear before it on April 8.

Accusing Assam government of "playing with the court", the apex court also termed the reply filed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs as an "exercise in futility" and sought to know as to how the persons, declared foreigners by the tribunal, have amalgamated with the local population.

"What is your government planning to do to trace those people who have merged with the local population," said a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

"You (Assam government) are saying that the declared foreigners have gone untraceable. How do you intend to identify them and deport them," the bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state government? See P6