SC notice to Centre, Assam on Foreigners Act

Centre had issued a notification shifting the onus to the complainant to prove that a particular person is foreigner.

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, Assam Government and the Attorney General on a petition challenging a controversial notification under the Foreigners Act.

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The plea puts the onus on the complainant to prove that a particular person is a foreigner.

A Bench of Justice SB Sinha and Justice PK Balasubramanyan fixed April 10 for hearing the petitioner's plea for staying the notification.

The notification was issued after the Supreme Court last year declared the IMDT Act "unconstitutional" and ordered that the status of the "foreigners" in Assam be determined under the Foreigners Act.

The Act puts the onus on an alleged foreigner to prove he/she is an Indian national or not.

However, the Centre issued the notification shifting the onus from the alleged foreigner to the complainant to prove that a particular person is foreigner and not an Indian.