Citizenship Determined by Law, Not IDs
Justice Amit Borkar, heading the bench, noted that the Citizenship Act provides a “permanent and complete system” for acquiring, verifying, and revoking citizenship. “This statute defines who is a citizen, how citizenship can be obtained, and in what circumstances it can be lost. Documents like Aadhaar, PAN, or voter ID cannot override these legal provisions,” the court observed.
The bench stressed that lawful citizenship is determined through birth, descent, registration, or naturalisation as outlined in the Act — and not by possession of service-based identity cards.
The court underlined that the law draws a “clear line between lawful citizens and illegal migrants,” adding that illegal migrants are barred from acquiring citizenship through most legal channels under the Act. This, the judge said, protects the country’s sovereignty and prevents unauthorised individuals from enjoying benefits meant exclusively for citizens.
In Sardar’s case, the police alleged he entered India without a valid passport or travel documents and procured multiple fake Indian IDs. The court noted that his document verification was still underway and that the risk of him absconding if released on bail was “a genuine apprehension.”
Charges and Legal Proceedings
The accused faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Passport Act, and the Foreigners Order for offences including forgery, impersonation, and illegal stay. According to investigators, the alleged forgeries were intended to create a false impression of Indian citizenship, enabling him to live and work in the country unlawfully.
Given the seriousness of the allegations and the ongoing investigation, the bench concluded that granting bail at this stage could hamper proceedings.
Legal Context and Precedents
This judgment reinforces previous rulings that identity cards such as Aadhaar and PAN are not proof of nationality. Government agencies have repeatedly maintained that these IDs are primarily for identification within welfare and taxation systems, not for determining citizenship status.
The case also highlights challenges in detecting and preventing illegal migration, particularly when forged documents are used to bypass legal checks. Authorities have stepped up verification processes for sensitive documents in recent years to counter such activities.