Supreme Court Questions Citizenship Claim of Vanuatu

The Supreme Court exhibited skepticism on Tuesday regarding an unusual citizenship claim during a bail plea hearing. The accused, stating he was a citizen of Vanuatu, faced scrutiny from a bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria.

The bench questioned the authenticity of Vanuatu as a legitimate citizenship, likening it to 'Kailasa,' a fictional country claimed to be established by self-proclaimed godman Nithyananda in 2019. The accused, facing a cheating case and already granted bail in four other cases, has been in custody for over a year.

When asked about the trial's conclusion timeframe, the state's counsel suggested a completion within six to eight months. After discussions, the petitioner's counsel asked to withdraw the plea, leading to its dismissal as withdrawn by the court.