Supreme Court questions accused’s Vanuatu citizenship, likens claim to ‘Kailasa’ during bail hearing. Photos: X.
The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday expressed scepticism over a bail applicant’s claim that he was a citizen of Vanuatu, saying during proceedings that “there is no country like that.” The observation came while the court was hearing a petition challenging a bail denial order passed by the Calcutta High Court in a cheating case.
A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria was informed by the petitioner’s counsel that the accused had already spent nearly one year and three months in custody.
During the hearing, the bench asked the lawyer, “You are a citizen of which country?”
When counsel responded that the petitioner held citizenship of Vanuatu, the judges followed up with another question: “Have you been there?”
After the lawyer replied in the negative, the bench remarked, “There is no country like that. We also know a country called Kailasa. Similar to that.”
The court’s comment referenced Kailasa, a self-declared Hindu micronation “founded” in 2019 by fugitive Indian godman Nithyananda.
The petitioner’s counsel told the court that the accused had already secured bail in four other cases. The bench then sought clarification from the counsel representing the state of West Bengal regarding the expected timeline for completion of the trial.
The state’s lawyer informed the court that proceedings were likely to conclude within six to eight months. Following this, the petitioner’s counsel requested permission to withdraw the plea.
“Dismissed as withdrawn,” the bench ordered.
Vanuatu is a recognised sovereign republic located in the South Pacific Ocean, positioned east of Australia and north-east of New Caledonia.
The country achieved independence from joint British-French administration in 1980 and is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations and several regional bodies. It is widely known for its tourism industry, rich marine biodiversity and active volcanic terrain. In recent years, it has also attracted global attention for its citizenship-by-investment programme.
Despite its relatively small population, the island nation regularly participates in the Olympic Games and other international competitions, with athletes competing in sports such as athletics, judo and boxing.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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