Delhi HC junks plea for cancellation of Taslima Nasreen's visa

NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court today dismissed a PIL seeking deportation and cancellation of the visa given to controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen by the Indian government, saying there was no public interest in the matter.

"There is no public interest in the matter. Petition is dismissed," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.

The court junked the petition filed by an NGO which claimed that the author had violated the Foreigners Order of 1948 and the Foreigners Act of 1946 by preparing scripts for a film and a serial.

The NGO claimed Nasreen had indulged in "anti-national" activities by preparing the script for a TV serial, which was to be aired in West Bengal in 2013 but was deferred due to protests by some religious groups.

It has also alleged that she scripted a Bengali film 'Nirbashito', purportedly based on her life, which was shown at the Delhi International Film Festival in 2014.

The NGO, All India Human Rights and Social Justice Front, has said the activities were in violation of the statute which prohibited preparing scripts for films and serials by a foreigner without permission from the government.

It has sought cancellation of her visa, which was extended for a year in August this year by the government, and sought her deportation.