The Bombay High Court at Goa, consisting of Justice M.S. Karnik and Justice Valmiki Menezes, has adjourned the hearing on Adv. Aires Rodrigues’s writ petition concerning the non-issuance of his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card to July 8. The adjournment came after Assistant Solicitor General of India Pravin Faldesai requested more time to file a reply. Senior Advocate Agnelo Diniz is representing Adv. Rodrigues in this matter.
Adv. Rodrigues, who obtained a Portuguese passport in Lisbon on May 15 last year, surrendered his Indian passport at the Goa Passport Office upon his return in early June, complying with legal requirements. After gathering all necessary documents, he applied online for an OCI card but was informed by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Mumbai that a new rule required six months of residence in Goa before filing an OCI application.
Following the six-month residency, Adv. Rodrigues reapplied for an OCI card on January 25 this year and completed the document verification process at FRRO Mumbai on March 5, paying the required fee of Rs 15,000. However, on June 6, 2024, he received a brief email from FRRO Mumbai stating that his OCI application had been canceled under Rule 32(2) of the Citizenship Rules, 2009.
Challenging the cancellation, Adv. Rodrigues filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court at Goa on June 20, arguing that the decision by FRRO Mumbai was arbitrary, illegal, and unjust, and that it violated the principles of natural justice by providing no reasons for the cancellation.
