Help in lifting medical students stranded in Ukraine, Supreme Court asks AG

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday asked Attorney General K K Venugopal to use his "good office" in helping evacuate some Indian medical students stranded in war-ravaged Ukraine near the Romania border.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said earlier in the day, when the plea was mentioned for urgent hearing, it sympathised with the stranded students and asked can the court direct the head of the state to stop the war. "Please tell us what can the court do? Can we direct the President (of Russia) to stop the war," said the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli, and asked the counsel for petitioner Fathima Ahana who is stranded in Ukraine to wait inside the courtroom till the time Venugopal appears in court. The bench took note of the submissions of Ahana's lawyer that several students are stuck near the Romanian border in freezing cold and the government is not running flights from Romania. "There are 1,000 students like this. But some have come here. We cannot say 'no'. Please use your good offices and do something," the bench told Venugopal, who, in turn, apprised that the Prime Minister has sent one minister to Romania.

Venugopal asked whether students have crossed the Ukraine border and entered Romania. Senior advocate A M Dar, appearing for the student, said that they are still in Ukraine and have not crossed over to Romania.

"Some media house and some videos are saying that what the Chief Justice of India is doing why he is not giving direction to President Putin to stop the war... I agree and sympathise with students. We all are feeling very bad. People are dying...but we are not on that issue," the bench observed.