Court: Voter ID is proof of Citizenship

A Magistrate Court in Mumbai passed a Judgement stating that original election cards can be considered as a proof of citizenship this week while acquitting a Mankhurd couple arrested in 2017 on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals living in India.

The following documents can establish the origin of any person. It can be a birth certificate, a domicile certificate, a bonafide certificate and a passport, the Court said.

The Court said, “Even the election card can be said to be sufficient proof of citizenship as while applying for the election card or a voting card, a person has to file a declaration with the authority in view of Form 6 of Peoples Representation Act to the authority that he is a citizen of India and if the declaration is found false, he is liable for punishment".

The Court added, the documents submitted by the accused, Abbas Shaikh (45) and Rabiya Shaikh (40), weren't rebutted by the prosecution or proven to be fake.

The Court reiterates, “It is necessary to mention that the person may lie but the documents will never".

The Court also said that the following documents Aadhar card, PAN card, driving licence or ration card cannot be termed as the documents proving citizenship as they are not meant for the purpose.

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