Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID alone not enough proof of citizenship: Bombay high court | India News

MUMBAI: Observing that declare of citizenship have to be examined strictly beneath the Citizenship Act, 1955, Bombay high court Tuesday rejected the bail plea of a person who the police allege is a Bangladeshi nationwide. The Thane resident, since 2013, stated he holds Aadhaar, PAN card, voter ID and passport. His paperwork are linked to earnings tax information, financial institution accounts, utilities and enterprise registration. Justice Amit Borkar stated, “Merely having documents such an Aadhaar card, PAN card or voter ID does not, by itself, make someone a citizen of India. These documents are meant for identification or availing services but they do not override the basic legal requirement of citizenship as prescribed in the Act.”The Wagle Estate police station lodged an FIR against Babu Abdul Ruf Sardar. The prosecution alleged he entered India illegally and used forged Indian identity documents. His phone, on forensic examination, contained digital copies of his mother’s and his birth certificates issued in Bangladesh. Verification of Aadhaar card from Unique Identification Authority of India is awaited. Sardar was in “frequent contact with a number of numbers linked to Bangladesh.”Justice Borkar said the allegations are not limited to mere technical violation of immigration norms but “point out a case of deliberate concealment of identification and creation of solid paperwork for acquiring Indian citizenship advantages.” The Citizenship Act lays down a permanent system of acquiring and losing citizenship.