SC refuses to show leniency to infiltrators

New Delhi, Jun 15 (UNI) Keeping in view the serious threat posed to national integrity and security by infiltrators, the Supreme Court has ruled that no concession or leniency should be shown to those entering the country illegally.

The ruling was handed down by a bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and P P Naolekar while dismissing the petition of a Pakistani national who had infiltrated into the country without papers and was arrested by Jaipur police on January 13, 2004.

The petitioners Habib Ibrahim of Karachi had pleaded for leniency on the grounds that he had entered India without papers to meet his wife and children.

He was sentenced to five years imprisonment for offences under Section 3 read with Section 14 of the Foreigners Act for illegally staying in India.

The apex court in its judgement said, ''So far as the sentence is concerned, considering the large number of infiltrators coming to India without valid documents, there is need for imposing stricter sentence.'' The petitioner had entered India via Nepal.

The apex court also said, ''The only plea to justify his presence in India was that he had come to visit his wife and children. That does not give him any right to stay illegally in India.'' UNI SC PD AS2009