Chennai: 

The Madras High Court has directed the Central Government to consider the Indian citizenship application of a woman born in India to Sri Lankan Tamil refugee parents and to make a decision in accordance with the law. The court also ruled that she should not be deported from India until a final decision is made.

Background

Saravanamuthu and Tamilselvi, a Sri Lankan Tamil couple, arrived in Tamil Nadu in 1984 via Coimbatore airport due to the civil war in Sri Lanka. They registered with the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office and have been residing in Coimbatore for several years.

In 1987, their daughter, Ramya, was born in India. She completed her schooling in Coimbatore and later married an Indian citizen from the same city. Ramya has been living in India continuously for the past 37 years.

Court’s Verdict

Delivering the verdict, Justice Chakravarthy stated that it was unnecessary to require the petitioner to travel to Sri Lanka to obtain documents. Taking into account her birth in India, her marriage to an Indian citizen, and her continuous residence in the country for 37 years, the court directed the Union Home Ministry to allow Ramya to apply for citizenship online.

Furthermore, the court instructed the government to process her application as per legal provisions and ruled that she should not be deported from India until a final decision is reached. With these directives, the case was concluded.

Legal Battle for Citizenship

When the family approached authorities to update their registration for continued stay in India, officials refused to renew the registration of Saravanamuthu and Tamilselvi. They also ordered the surrender of Ramya's Indian passport, citing that individuals born in India after July 1987 cannot claim citizenship solely based on their birthplace.

Following this, Ramya applied for Indian citizenship online, but the Union Government rejected her application. Consequently, she filed a petition in the Madras High Court, challenging the rejection. The case was heard by Justice Bharat Chakravarthy on March 31, with advocate Ilamugil representing Ramya.

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