HC directs Centre to consider application submitted by Sri Lankan Tamil refugee for issuance of certificate of naturalisation

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Centre to consider the application submitted by a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee for issuance of certificate of naturalisation as per Rule 15 of the Citizenship Rules, 2009. She had come to India in 1983.

Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan directed the Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs to consider in eight weeks the application submitted by the petitioner R. Maheswary of Madurai for issuance of certificate of naturalisation as per Rule 15 of the Citizenship Rules, 2009, in the light of the formal registration of the petitioner as a citizen of India by the communication dated June 12, 2018.

Ms. Maheswary of S.S. Colony in Madurai said she was born in Colombo in Sri Lanka in 1954 and lived there till 1983. Following the ethnic strife, she moved to India along with her family by air. She had carried with her the identity card issued in Sri Lanka.

She said she had been living in India since then with the intention of permanently staying here. She had duly registered herself and received a Special Certificate of Registration for Sri Lankan Tamils issued by the Commissioner of Police, Madurai.

She said that it was renewed from time to time. In 2008, she was issued with a Sri Lankan passport.

The petitioner said she had applied for Indian Citizenship under naturalisation in terms of Section 6 (1) of Citizenship Act, 1955. After due inquiries, in 2018 she received a letter from the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and a communication was sent to the State government stating that the Central government had decided to register her as a citizen of India and was called upon to renounce her Sri Lankan nationality.

She renounced her Sri Lankan citizenship, forwarded the required documents through the Madurai Collector and complied with the directions. However, no further action had been taken so far.

The petitioner said she had duly complied with the conditions set out in Section 6 of the Citizenship Act for Indian citizenship by naturalisation and sought a direction to the Centre to grant the certificate of naturalisation.

Published - December 03, 2024 08:30 pm IST