The Uttarakhand High Court has issued a directive to the District Magistrate, Dehradun, instructing the official to meticulously examine a citizenship application submitted by an individual of Tibetan origin. The application, filed under Section 6(i) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, pertains to a migrant seeking Indian citizenship. A single bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari mandated that if all aspects of the application and accompanying documents are found to be in order, the District Magistrate must then forward the application to the appropriate authority within the Central Government within a stipulated period of six weeks.
The judicial pronouncement came in response to a writ petition, designated WPMS/2414/2026, filed by the migrant-petitioner, Tenzin Thinley, against the District Magistrate, Dehradun. The petitioner had approached the High Court seeking specific directions for the processing and forwarding of his citizenship application, which he contended had remained unaddressed by the District Magistrate's office.
Petitioner's Grievance and Sought Reliefs
Tenzin Thinley's petition highlighted that despite having submitted an application in accordance with Section 6(i) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, the District Magistrate had not proceeded to forward it to the Central Government. This alleged inaction formed the crux of the petitioner's grievance, prompting the appeal to the High Court for intervention.
The petitioner's prayers before the High Court were multifaceted. Primarily, he sought a clear direction to the District Magistrate to forward his application. This forwarding was to be accompanied by the requisite report and all necessary formalities, to be completed within a defined timeframe. Furthermore, the petitioner also requested other reliefs, including a direction for the eventual issuance of a certificate of citizenship by virtue of naturalisation, along with all pertinent documents related to his application for citizenship.