NRC Listing Can’t Override Foreigner Tribunal’s Verdict: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled that a person's inclusion in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) does not nullify their declaration as a foreigner by a Foreigners Tribunal.

The verdict came while dismissing Rofiqul Hoque’s plea, who argued that his NRC inclusion in 2018 overruled the tribunal’s 2017 declaration.

The Court cited Abdul Kuddus v. Union of India (2019), affirming that NRC cannot supersede a tribunal’s verdict.

Hoque had submitted voter lists and a school certificate to prove citizenship, but inconsistencies led to rejection by both the tribunal and the Gauhati High Court. The Court reiterated that NRC rules exclude declared foreigners.