Supreme Court Gives Assam Two Weeks on Citizenship Petitions

Guwahati: The Supreme Court ordered the Assam government to file counter-affidavits and vakalatnamas within two weeks. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued the order on July 16. The state counsel requested the extra time. The court accepted the delay.

The justices are reviewing appeals from five women labeled illegal foreigners. These women previously lost bids in the Gauhati High Court to overturn decisions made by Foreigners Tribunals. The state alleges the women entered India from Bangladesh. Two of the women are still in detention.

The court previously stayed the deportation of these five women on June 5. Lawyers reminded the bench of a July 13 ruling. That decision clarified that citizenship findings must be fair and lawful. As the bench noted in their order, "As prayed, two weeks is granted to the counsel for the respondent-State of Assam to file vakalatnama and counter affidavit(s) in all the cases. List after two weeks."

The court recently set aside several Gauhati High Court rulings related to separate citizenship cases. It ordered tribunals to reconsider those matters without relying on past high court observations. The Supreme Court maintains that while the state has a right to filter out ineligible citizens, it must follow a reasoned process.