Govt Cannot Arbitrarily Cancel OCI Cards Without Fair Hearing: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court ruled that the government cannot arbitrarily cancel an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card without giving the affected individual a fair hearing.

The Court emphasized that Section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955 requires authorities to provide a reasonable opportunity to respond.

The case involved US citizen John Robert Roughton III, who was deported from Delhi airport for alleged missionary activities.

The Court rejecting the government's claim that blacklisting under Section 3 of the Foreigners Act overrides OCI rights, the Court directed officials to issue a show-cause notice, provide cancellation grounds, and pass a speaking order after considering Roughton’s response.