Gauhati High Court
Tarapada Namadas vs The Union Of India And 5 Ors on 6 February, 2023
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GAHC010134252019
THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT
(HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH)
Case No. : WP(C)/4032/2019
TARAPADA NAMADAS
S/O- LT BRAJABASI NAMADAS, R/O- VILL- NO.1 KANUPARA, P.O.
GURUFELA, UNDER P.S. KASHUGAON, DIST- KOKRAJHAR, ASSAM
VERSUS
THE UNION OF INDIA AND 5 ORS.
REP. BY SECY., MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS, NORTH BLOCK, NEW
DELHI- 110001
2:THE STATE OF ASSAM
REP. BY THE PRINCIPAL SECY. TO GOVT. OF ASSAM
HOME AND POLITICAL DEPTT.
DISPUR
GHY-6
3:THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE (B)
KOKRAJHAR
ASSAM
4:THE DY. COMMISSIONER (FRRO)
DIST- KOKRAJHAR
ASSAM
5:THE STATE COORDINATOR
NATIONAL REGISTRATION OF CITIZENSHIPS
ASSAM
1ST FLOOR
ACHYUT PLAZA
GS ROAD
BHANGAGARH
GHY-5
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6:THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
NIRVACHAN SADAN
ASHOKA ROAD
NEW DELH
Advocate for the Petitioner : MR. D SAIKIA
Advocate for the Respondent : ASSTT.S.G.I.
BEFORE
HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ACHINTYA MALLA BUJOR BARUA
HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ROBIN PHUKAN
JUDGMENT & ORDER (ORAL)
Date : 06-02-2023
(A.M. Bujor Barua, J)
Heard Mr. B. Chanda, learned counsel for the petitioner and Ms. L. Devi,
learned counsel for the respondents No. 1 and 5, respectively being the Union
of India and the authority in the National Registration of Citizenships, Assam.
Also heard Ms. A. Verma, learned counsel for the respondents No. 2 and 3,
being the authorities in the Home Department, Ms. K. Phukan, learned counsel
for the respondent No. 4, being the Deputy Commissioner (FRRO), Kokrajhar
and Mr. A. Ali, learned counsel for the respondent No. 6, being the Election
Commission of India.
2. The petitioner Tarapada Namadas is aggrieved by an ex-parte opinion
dated 25.09.1997 of the Foreigners Tribunal, Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Goalpara in
F.T. Case No. 476/K/86 by which the mother of the petitioner Sorojoni Sarkar
was declared to be a foreigner who entered the State of Assam between 1966
and 1971. The petitioner also refers to a voters' list of 1966 of village Pam
Mayanbori, Mouza Baghbor in the Barpeta district which contains the name of
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Brajabasi Namadas, son of Biswanath at Sl. No. 383; the name of Sorojoni
Namadas, wife of Brajabasi at Sl. No. 384 and the name of Tarapada Namadas,
son of Brajabasi at Sl. No. 387. Brajabasi Namadas is the father of the petitioner,
Sorojoni Namadas is the mother of the petitioner and the name of the petitioner
himself appears in the voters' list of 1966 and therefore has to be accepted to
be a citizen of India. The petitioner is aggrieved to the extent that as because of
the ex-parte opinion by which his mother was declared to be a person who
entered the State of Assam between 1966 and 1971, his legal rights otherwise
as a citizen of India are being questioned by some of the authorities. Being
aggrieved, this writ petition is instituted.
3. The petitioner also refers to an order dated 06.01.2016 of the Sub-
Divisional Officer(Civil), Gossaigaon under Rule 3 of the Assam Registration of
Birth/Death Rules, 1977 by which it had been ordered that the date of death of
Sorojoni Namadas, wife of Brajabasi Namadas is 16.05.1991 and it has to be
accepted that the mother of the petitioner Sorojoni Namadas died on
16.05.1991.
4. When we verify the records of service of notice on Sorojoni Namadas in
connection with F.T. Case No. 476/K/86 of the Foreigners Tribunal at Dhubri,
Kokrajhar and Goalpara, it is noticed that there is a report by the Process Server
containing the signature as well as the left thumb impression of Sorojoni Das in
the year 1997. If Sorojoni Das died in the year 1991, the report of the Process
Server appears to be a frivolous report.
5. From the point of view that the notice was not appropriately served upon
Sorojoni Sarkar and also from the point of view that when the opinion was
rendered, Sorojoni Sarkar, wife of Brajabasi Sarkar was no more, we have to
understand that the ex-parte opinion is unsustainable in law. Although there is a
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question as to whether Sorojoni Sarkar, wife of Brajabasi Sarkar and Sorojoni
Namadas, wife of Brajabasi Namadas are one and the same person remains, but
still the materials as indicated above lead in favour of a declaration that there
cannot be any ex-parte opinion rendered in a Foreigners Tribunal against the
mother of the petitioner Sorojoni Namadas, wife of Brajabasi Namadas of village
Pam Mayanbori, Mouza Baghbor in the Barpeta district. Accordingly, all legal
rights of the petitioner as a citizen of India, without taking any recourse to an
ex-parte opinion of a Foreigners Tribunal against his mother, would be available
to the petitioner.
Writ petition stands allowed as indicated above.
JUDGE JUDGE
Comparing Assistant
