Deportation order: Israeli writer approaches SC

KOZHIKODE: The British-born Jewish writer Susan Nathan, who has been ordered to be deported for overstaying without valid travel documents by the Kerala High Court, moved Supreme Court to dismiss the order on Friday.An appeal has been lodged before the Supreme Court by her counsel Manjeri Sunder Raj citing her right to stay here and to defend the case registered against her by the Nadakkavu police.However, the Kozhikode district administration is waiting for the allotment of expenses for the deportation of Susan Nathan.“We are looking for the allotment of expenses for deportation from the government,” said District Collector K V Mohankumar.The deportation order was pronounced by the High Court on March 16.The district administration had sent a detailed report last week to Home and Finance Departments, seeking the allotment of around Rs 30,000 for the expected travel expenses to deport Susan to Tel Aviv, where she had been residing before coming to Kozhikode on October 14, 2009.After the expiry of visa, she stayed here on X-visa and that too expired on February 21.“We are challenging the order of the High Court to deport her as it was denial of fundamental rights,” said Sunder Raj.As she is a foreign national, the order is against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he added.According to the police, the 63-year-old British-born Jewish writer is still staying in the rented apartment near Kanakalaya Bank, West Hill, which has been arranged with the help of the former vice-president of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Nadakkavu police are closely watching her actions due to her alleged connection with extremist outfits. The Nadakkavu Police registered a case against Susan on February 27 for violating the provisions of the Foreigners Act.The Malayalam translation of Susan’s ‘The Other Side of Israel’ by Other Books, a publishing firm owned by former SIMI leader also invited a controversy. Earlier, the state government informed the High Court that Nathan had close connections with Islamic extremist groups like the banned outfit SIMI and NDF.