Delhi High Court sets aside order revoking Ashok Swain’s OCI status

financialexpress.com:

The Delhi High Court on Monday set aside an order issued by the Indian Embassy to Sweden and Latvia revoking the Overseas Indian Citizen status of Ashok Swain. Noting that the February 8, 2022, order stated nothing other than that it was being issued exercising the powers of Section 7(D)(e) of the Citizenship Act, a single-judge bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad set it aside and directed the MHA, MEA and the Embassy to pass a detailed order explaining the reasons for exercising its power under the said section.

Also Read:

“Other than repeating the section as a mantra no reason has been given in the judgment as to why the registration of the petitioner as an OCI cardholder has been revoked”.

The order by the Indian Embassy stated “that the said exercise of power is under Section 7(D)(e) of Citizenship Act on the ground that the petitioner is indulging in activities which is prejudicial to the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, security of India, friendly relationship of India with any foreign country”.

“Impugned order is set aside, respondents are directed to complete the exercise within three weeks from today. It is made clear that this court has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case,” the court said.

The counsel for Swain, an academician and the UNESCO Chair on International Water Cooperation since 2007, submitted that the order was issued on the pretext that he had been “ostensibly indulging in anti-India writing which is injurious to the interest of India ”.

As per the petition, Swain serves as professor and head of department at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Sweden. He was granted an OCI Card on January 14, 2020.

“This is hardly an order; it does