SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2022 Supreme(Gau) 718

IN THE HIGH COURT OF GAUHATI
N. Kotiswar Singh, Sanjay Kumar Medhi, JJ.
Kodvanu – Appellant
Versus
The Union of India and Others – Respondents
Review Petition No. 40 of 2022
Decided On : 26-04-2022

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : R. Choudhury.

Headnote:

Foreigner's Act,1946 - Section 9 - Burden of proof - Assailing an order - Petitioner was declared to be foreigner of post 1971 stream - Held, Court opinion that in the findings reached by this Court as recorded in the order, no error apparent on the face of records are seen in the judgment and the same has been passed by taking into consideration all the relevant materials - It is an established law that the correctness of an order cannot be tested in a review petition for which the appellate forum is available - It is further laid down that a judgment may be erroneous but that by itself would not make it fit for review and unless the error is apparent on the face of the records - In the course of hearing, nothing could be shown on behalf of the petitioner that the judgment was palpably erroneous on the face of the records – Petition dismissed.

JUDGMENT :

Sanjay Kumar Medhi, J.

1. The present application has been filed for review of the judgment and order dated 30.07.2019 passed by this Court in WP (C) No. 7814/2016.

2. The writ petition was filed assailing an order dated 03.12.2016 passed by the learned Foreigner's Tribunal (2nd) Bongaigaon in BNGN/FT Case No. 30/2011. Vide the impugned opinion dated 03.12.2016, the petitioner was declared to be foreigner of post 1971 stream.

3. Before the learned Tribunal, the petitioner had produced the following documents:

    (1) Annual Patta of 1933 (Exhibit-I)

(2) Annual Patta of 1955 (Exhibit-II)

(3) Voter List of 1966 (Exhibit-III)

(4) Voter List of 1970 (Exhibit-IV)

(5) Voter List of 1985 (Exhibit-V)

(6) Voter ID of Brother (Exhibit-VI)

(7) Certificate by GP Secretary (Exhibit-VII)

(8) Voter List of 1989 (Exhibit-VIII)

(9) Voter List of 1997 (Exhibit-IX)

(10) Voter ID of OP (petitioner) (Exhibit-X)

(11) Order dated 13.02.2012 in favor of OP (petitioner's) niece (Exhibit-XI)

(12) Affidavit (Exhibit-XII)

(13) Gift Deed (Exhibit-XIII)

4. The learned Tribunal after considering the facts and circumstances came to a finding that the petitioner was unable to discharge her burden under Section 9 of the Foreigner's Act and accordingly, the reference was answered by holding the petitioner to be a foreigner who has entered Assam post March, 1971 and consequently, orders have been passed. Accordingly, the opinion was rendered on 03.12.2016, which was the subject matter of challenge in the writ petition.

5. This Court after hearing the parties had passed an order dated 30.07.2019 whereby the impugned opinion dated 03.12.2016 was considered in details. This Court came to a finding that not a single document could be produced to conclusively prove the case of the petitioner. This Court had noticed that the petitioner has projected one Taleb Ali as her elder brother, whose name had appeared in the Voter List of 1966 and the said Taleb Ali was introduced as a witness (DW-2). In the proceeding, a Gift Deed (Ext.-XIII) by said Taleb Ali in favour of the petitioner was brought on record to prove the connection. However, this Court has noticed an intriguing fact that the Deed (Ext. XIII) was executed on 20.10.2016 i.e. after the deposition of the said DW-2, which was on 14.09.2016. Even with regard to the deposition of DW-2, though it was pleaded that he was the brother of the petitioner, the same was not proved in accordance with law. It may be mentioned that the materials fact pleaded in the written statement is required to be proved in accordance with law which was not done in the instant case. It is also a fact that though the petitioner claimed to have elder brothers, none of them had come forward to depose.

6. This Court had further observed that exercise of the Certiorari jurisdiction would not empower the Court to act as a supervising one or an appellate one but it is a jurisdiction to be exercised to examine the decision making process and in the present case, this Court had come to a conclusion that the finding arrived at by the learned Tribunal are findings of fact based upon materials on record and unless such findings are perverse, a writ Court would be loathe in interfering with such finding.

7. The writ petition was accordingly dismissed, vide an order dated 30.07.2019.

8. We have heard Ms. R. Choudhury, learned counsel for the review petitioner. We have also heard Ms. L. Devi, learned counsel appearing on behalf of Shri R.K. Dev Choudhury, learned Assistant Solicitor General of India, for the respondent No. 1; Shri J. Payeng, learned special counsel, FT, appearing for respondent Nos. 2 and 4 and Ms. U. Das, learned Additional Senior Government Advocate, Assam, appearing for respondent No. 3.

9. Ms. Choudhury, the learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the opinion dated 03.12.2016 passed by the learned FT declaring the petitioner to be an illegal migrant is erroneous as the documents pertaining to her citizenship was ignored/overlooked. It is furt

Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top