Land records are not a proof of citizenship observed a Calcutta High Court while hearing a plea by Nasir Mohallah who was detained in Bengal as a Bangladeshi intruder.
Division Bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Md. Shabbar Rashidi was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by foreign
Elaborating its order, the court said- just because he owns a property in India doesnt grant him citizenship. “A foreign national can buy a property in India. Merely because a foreign national buys an immovable property in India ipso facto does not make such purchaser an Indian citizen,”- the two page order read.
While there have been several statements on the case. One by the detainee himself revealed he was a foreigner contradicting the lawyers statement. However, the court had asked the petitioner to provide documents that prove his Indian citizenship.
“In response to such query of the court, learned advocate appearing for the petitioner submits that no document annexed to the writ petition conclusively establishes the Indian citizenship of the detainee, excepting the land records,” the court noted in its order.
The court will now hear the case in July 20th. It has granted another opportunity to the petitioner for producing any document that proves his citizenship.
Earlier, the centre also clarified that passports were not conclusive proof of Indian citizenship.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has hinted at initiating an Assam-like National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.”Give us some time. A strict law against land jihad, love jihad and forced religious conversion and a Uniform Civil Code will be introduced in West Bengal,” he said last month.