New Delhi, July 13 -- The Supreme Court on Monday held that questions relating to citizenship and foreigner status must be decided through a "fair, lawful and reasonable" process, while setting aside Gauhati High Court judgments that had upheld Foreigners Tribunal orders declaring 27 appellants as foreigners.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta allowed all 27 appeals and remitted the cases to the respective Foreigners Tribunals for fresh adjudication. The court observed that citizenship is a matter of profound constitutional importance and its determination must strictly adhere to the principles of fairness and due process.
It also affirmed the State's legitimate interest in preventing illegal claims to Indian citizenship th...