KOCHI: The state government on Wednesday submitted before the High Court that the Israeli couple who were ordered to quit the country had tried to strengthen their community in India through religious activities by violating visa norms. The state government also informed that, with the Jewish community gaining in strength, there would be chances of Muslim extremists attacking them, which in turn will affectthe security of the nation. State attorney P Vijayaraghavan made the submission in response to a petition filed by the couple Shneor Zalman Bernstein and wife Yaffa Shendi Keing against the deportation order issued by the Ernakulam District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth. When the petition came up for hearing in the court, Justice S Siri Jagan directed the state to submit the intelligence report against the couple in a sealed cover. “The couple has violated visa norms as they arrived here on a tourist visa. “ After the Mumbai terror attacks, a Chabad House had come under attack and some Jews, including a couple, were killed,” the state pointed out and added that the activities of the Israeli couple couldalso create such problems. The petitioners sought a directive to the Centre to submit the file of the visa applications of the Israeli couple. They also sought a directive to the District Collector Sheik Pareeth to produce the entire documents relating to the decision to issue a new quit notice after hearing the Israeli couple. The couple has been staying in a house taken on rent at Rose Street, Fort Kochi. They had been staying in the country since March 3, 2010. When their visas expired on March 3 last, they went and returned on April 1, 2011, on a new visa. The state said the monthly rent of the house is Rs 20,000 and they were conducting religious activities there.
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