The Supreme Court will take up on March 25 a plea to stop the alleged imminent deportation of hundreds of Rohingya Muslims from Jammu and Kashmir.

The plea by Samiullah Khan, a Rohingya, has argued that if deported the refugees could face “genocide” in Myanmar, their country of origin.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde posted the matter for hearing to next Thursday upon a request from the petitioner’s advocate, Prashant Bhushan. Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta said he had no objection.

While making an oral plea for urgent listing, Bhushan told the bench that if the deportation was not stayed immediately by the court, the Rohingya Muslims would be expelled.

“The detention is illegal and if they are deported then they face genocide. We have filed an application,” Bhushan told the court.

The application has cited news reports to plead that since March 7 this year, 150-170 Rohingya refugees in Jammu have been illegally detained at the Jammu sub-jail that has been converted into a holding centre.

He reminded the court that Myanmar was now back in the hands of the military junta.

Mehta said the statement made by Bhushan was “wrong” on merits but he had no objection to urgent listing.