Assam NRC: SC allows 5 more IDs for raising claims, objections

“It is our considered view that the mere possibility of filing of forged documents or that such documents were filed in the earlier exercise cannot be a ground to exclude the same from the impending process of filing of claims and objections,” the court said in its order.

In a relief to about 40 lakh people left out of draft NRC for Assam, the Supreme Court on Thursday permitted five additional identity documents for filing claims and objections over non-inclusion in the final draft NRC for the state.

These additional identity documents are National Register of Citizens (NRC), 1951; electoral roll up to 24th March, 1971; Citizenship Certificate; Refugee Registration Certificate and certified copies of pre-1971 electoral roll, particularly, those issued from the State of Tripura; and ration card.

Permitting these five identity documents, the bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman said the fear of an ineligible person getting into the NRC cannot be a ground for exclusion of genuine citizens.

Needless to say, the court order said, “all such documents must be subjected to a thorough process of verification and will be accepted only after due and complete satisfaction of the genuineness of the same”.

The court said that objection of state coordinator of NRC Prateek Hajela to the five documents, specifically to the names in NRC of 1951 and names in electoral roll up to March 24, 1971 is “based entirely on a possibility of abuse which, however strong, cannot be an acceptable reason in law to exclude the documents from consideration”.

While allowing five additional documents, the court extended the time for filing of claims and objections to December 15 from previously set November 25.