Bengaluru: The high court Tuesday sought a detailed response from the govt on the measures taken to identify and trace foreigners overstaying in Bengaluru without valid visas or without registering with Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO), as required under law.Justice M Nagaprasanna issued the oral direction while hearing a petition filed by two Nigerians — Emeka James Iwoba and Uderike Fidelis — who have been booked under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.The petitioners challenged the legality of their arrest, alleging they were not informed of the reasons at the time of detention and not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, as mandated by law. They sought a declaration that their arrest under NDPS Act was illegal.During the hearing, deputy solicitor general of India H Shanthi Bhushan, appearing for FRRO, submitted that the petitioners had entered India in 2015 on business visas, which expired in 2018. He said the Nigerians had failed to register themselves with FRRO, a mandatory requirement for foreign nationals staying in the country.Justice Nagaprasanna questioned why authorities were not acting against foreigners who were overstaying on the basis of forged or invalid documents. The court was informed that the responsibility to deal with such cases rested with the govt.Placing data before the court, Bhushan said between 2021 and 2025, 25.6 lakh foreign nationals arrived at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), while 10,547 foreigners landed at Mangaluru International Airport.
