ASHOK SWAIN vs UNION OF INDIA & ORS.

Judgment text excerpt

$~J * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Judgment pronounced on: 28.03.2025 + W.P.(C) 11928/2023 ASHOK SWAIN .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Aadil Singh Boparai, Mr. Gurveer Lally, Mr. Abhishek Dubey and Mr. Sachin Kumar, Advocates. versus UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Ms. Shiva Lakshmi, CGSC along with Mr. Govind Sharma, Advocate for UOI. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN DATTA JUDGMENT Factual Background and Submissions of Respective Counsel 1. The present petition has been filed by the petitioner assailing the order dated 30.07.2023 passed by the respondent no.3/Second Secretary (Consular), Embassy of India, Stockholm, whereby, the petitioner’s registration as Overseas Citizenship of India (‘OCI’) Cardholder has been sought to be cancelled. 2. It is the case of the petitioner that the said order is a non-speaking order, devoid of any reason to exercise the powers under Section 7-D(e) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and as such cannot withstand the scrutiny of law. It is further averred in the petition that even though the petitioner has been Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:ROHIT W.P.(C) 11928/2023 Page 1 of 21 KUMAR PATEL Signing Date:29.03.2025 18:53:44 ostensibly blacklisted for anti-India activities and/or spreading detrimental propaganda through his writings and speeches in various public forums, the impugned order is bereft of any specific details as regard thereto. 3. It is emphasized in the petition that the petitioner is a renowned scholar and has been serving as the Professor and Head of Department of the Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Sweden. It is stated that the petitioner became the first UNESCO Chair of Uppsala University, since his appointment in 2017 as the Chair on International Water Cooperation. Furthe