America
HC stays order on revoking Khobragade's kids' Indian passports
New Delhi, May 15
The Delhi High Court on
Friday issued notice to the central government and stayed its order
revoking Indian passports of two minor daughters of IFS officer Devyani
Khobragade for having US passports.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher,
issuing notice to the external affairs and home affairs ministries,
sought their response by October 8 on the plea filed by kids of
Khobragade against the decision.
Hearing the matter, the court
questioned the central government's moved to revoke the passport on
December 30 last year without even issuing a show cause notice or
hearing them.
The court said: "Did you issue a show cause notice
before passing the order of revocation? You can't proceed in this
fashion, that you revoke passport without giving hear ing or issuing a
show cause notice."
Meanwhile, the court asked the children to
travel on their US passports and they will be issued visa by the Indian
government when they wish to return, while taking into note the
submissions of government.
The central government's standing
counsel Ajay Digpaul told the court that the government was not
restraining the kids from travelling or staying in India and they can
travel on their US passports.
Indian law does not permit holding of "dual citizenship or two passports", Digpaul said.
The
government counsel also said earlier the children were issued
diplomatic passports which can be revoked without giving any reason.
Senior
advocate Amit Sibal, appearing for the children, told the court that
their Indian passports were revoked without issuing them a show cause
notice.
Khobragade, an Indian Foreign Service officer, was
arrested in the US in 2013 on charges of making false declarations in a
visa application for her maid and later released on a bond.
She has faced disciplinary actions in India for allegedly acquiring US citizenship for her daughters.