The High Court of Karnataka on Friday directed the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, Bengaluru, and the Ministry of Home Affairs to take immediate steps to deport a Pakistani couple convicted of illegally entering India without a passport or visa.

Justice Aravind Kumar also directed the State authorities to assist the Union government in deporting Kasif Shamsuddin alias Kasif and his wife Kiran Gulam Ali, both residents of Chakraphot in Karachi district. The court also observed that keeping them here would further burden the State’s exchequer and would be against the public interest.

The HC set aside the trial court order imposing a fine of ₹64,000 on them as they had no means of earning the money to pay the fine here. It also held that the imprisonment of 21 months each on two separate charges imposed on them by the trial court would run concurrently.

Kasif and Kiran eloped from their country and entered India illegally around three years ago. They were arrested in Bengaluru in May 2017. They were also found with Aadhaar cards and Electoral Photo ID Cards secured using fake documents with a help of a local agent.