ORDER

Arunachalam, J. - All these petitions are disposed of together by a common order, since the respondent is the same and the contentions raised are identical. Further, the petitioner in Crl. M.P. No. 9727 of 1988, is the husband of the petitioner in Crl. M.P. No. 9730 of 1988, and the father of petitioners in Crl. MP. Nos. 9733, 9736, 9739 and 9742 of 1988. All these petitions have been preferred under section 482, Cr. P.C. to call for the records and quash the pending prosecutions in C.C. Nos. 92 to 97 of 1988 on the file of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kanyakumari at Nagercoil, as not maintainable and an abuse of process of court.

2. All the petitioners are facing a charge under section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946. The petitioners are stated to be foreigners, namely, citizens of Republic of Sri Lanka, holding passports of that country. All of them arrived in India on 11.3.1986 and were permitted to stay in this country until 12.8.1986, as per residential permits issued. Without obtaining extension permits, they continued to remain in India and hence are liable for punishment under section 14 of the Foreigners Act read with para 7 of the Foreigners Order, 1948.

3. Mr. R.