Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has dismissed a writ petition filed by a Nigerian national lodged at the Mapusa detention centre after he repeatedly remained absent during the hearings, concluding that he was not interested in prosecuting the matter further.
The Division Bench of Justice Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar dismissed the petition for non-prosecution after recording that there was no appearance on behalf of the petitioner when the matter was called on Friday.
The Bench also referred to the previous hearing held on July 2, when the petitioner had similarly remained unrepresented. During that hearing, Deputy Solicitor General of India S.D. Faldessai informed the court that the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Goa, had already implemented the directions issued by the High Court in May.
The petition was filed by Offor Ben, also known as Mark and Lawrance, a Nigerian national currently housed at the Mapusa detention centre. He had requested permission to travel to New Delhi to visit the Nigerian Embassy for biometric verification required for obtaining a fresh passport.
In his plea, the petitioner submitted that the absence of a valid passport had prevented him from appearing before a court in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, where he is facing prosecution under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. He had also informed the High Court that a non-bailable warrant had been issued against him because of his inability to attend the proceedings.
Rather than allowing him to travel, the High Court had earlier directed the FRRO to make arrangements for him to participate in the Himachal Pradesh trial through video conferencing from the Mapusa detention centre, ensuring that the criminal proceedings were not delayed.
After the FRRO confirmed compliance with those directions and the petitioner failed to pursue his own petition despite successive opportunities, the High Court dismissed the matter, bringing the proceedings to a close.
