Gujarat HC allows Pakistani national to return home

The Gujarat High Court on Monday allowed a Pakistani national, who was acquitted in a fake currency case, to go back to his home country and asked authorities to complete formalities for his return. A division bench of Justices Sonia Gokani and NV Anjaria directed the Railway police in Surat city to issue the Pakistani man, Sajjad Burhanuddin Vora, a no objection certificate (NOC) for him to obtain the required exit permit.

The bench disposed of a habeas corpus plea moved by the Pakistani High Commission while directing the Superintendent of Police, Surat Railway police, to issue him the NOC by August 29 for him to travel to his country. A habeas corpus plea is a petition filed to ensure a person under arrest is brought before a court to determine if the detention is legal.

The court also directed the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to issue the exit permit and also waive all leviable fees of overstay, among other things, within a period of seven days from the date of NOC. Vora, a resident of Karachi, was in 2016 found in possession of fake demonetised currency notes by the Surat Railways police when he was on way to Mumbai along with his relatives to attend a religious function, police had said.

He was later acquitted in the case by a local court in Surat, which, however, did not allow him to leave India as the appeal against his acquittal moved by the state government in the High Court was pending. The HC had in July 2019 dismissed the appeal. However, the local police refused to give him an NOC without which his return to Pakistan was not possible as the FRRO asked for the document.

In its order on August 17, the Supreme Court also dismissed an appeal against his acquittal moved by the state government. Through his lawyer Aum Kotwal, Vora had last month approached the High Court seeking its direction to the police to issue him NOC. The Pakistan High Commission later filed a habeas corpus petition in the court, saying Vora was being held against his will.