The Bombay High Court clarified that simply having an Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, voter ID, or even an Indian passport does not make a person a citizen of India.
Justice Amit Borkar, while refusing bail to a man accused of illegally entering the country from Bangladesh, stressed that the Citizenship Act of 1955 clearly defines who can be an Indian citizen, how citizenship can be acquired, and in what situations it can be lost.
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“This is the statute that lays down who can be a citizen, how citizenship can be acquired and in what situations it can be lost,” Justice Borkar said. “Merely having documents such as Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, or voter ID does not, by itself, make someone a citizen of India. these documents are meant for identification paper. He is accused of obtaining fake Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, and an Indian passport.
The court noted that the law draws a ‘clear line’ between lawful citizens and illegal migrants, with most legal routes to citizenship barred for the latter. This distinction, it said, protects India’s sovereignty and ensures that benefits meant for citizens are not taken by those without legal status.
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Bail was denied because verification of Sardar’s documents was still pending, the investigation was ongoing, a nd police feared he might abscond. He faces charges under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Passport Act, and the Foreigners Order for making and using fake documents to pose as an Indian citizen.
