Citizenship Act, 1955
10. Deprivation of citizenship
(1) A citizen of India who is such by naturalization or by
virtue only of clause (c) of Article 5 of the Constitution or by registration
otherwise than under clause (b)(ii) of Article 6 of the Constitution or clause
(a) of sub-section (1) of section 5 of this Act shall cease to be a citizen of
India, if he is deprived of that citizenship by an order of the Central
Government under this section.
(2) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Central
Government may, by order, deprive any such citizen of Indian citizenship, if it
is satisfied that-
(a) the registration or certificate of
naturalization was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or the
concealment of any material fact; or
(b) that citizen has shown himself by act or
speech to be disloyal or disaffected towards the Constitution of India as by
law established; or
(c) that citizen has, during any war in which
India may be engaged, unlawfully traded or communicated with an enemy or been
engaged in, or associated with, any business that was to his knowledge carried
on in such manner as to assist an enemy in that war; or
(d) that citizen has, within five years after
registration or naturalization, been sentenced in any country to imprisonment
for a term of not less than two years; or
(e) that citizen has been ordinarily resident,
out of India for a continuous period of seven years, and during that period,
has neither been at any time a student of any educational institution in a
country outside India or in the service of a Government in India or of an
international organization of which India is a member, not registered annually
in the prescribed manner at an Indian consulate his intention to retain his
citizenship of India.
(3) The Central Government shall not deprive a person of
citizenship under this section unless it is satisfied that it is not conducive
to the public good that person should continue to be a citizen of India.
(4) Before making an order under this section, the Central
Government shall give the person against whom the order is proposed to be made,
notice in writing informing him of the ground on which it is proposed to be
made and, if the order is proposed to be made on any of the grounds specified
in sub-section (2) other than clause (e) thereof, of his right, upon making
application therefor in the prescribed manner, to have his case referred to a
committee of inquiry under this section.
(5) If the order is proposed to be made against a person or any
of the grounds specified in sub-section (2) other than clause (e) thereof and
that person so applies in the prescribed manner, the Central Government shall,
and in any other case it may, refer the case to a Committee of Inquiry
consisting of a Chairman (being a person who has for at least ten years held a
judicial office) and two other members appointed by the Central Government in
this behalf.
(6) The Committee of Inquiry shall, on such reference, hold the
inquiry in such manner as may be prescribed and submit its report to the
Central Government, and the Central Government shall ordinarily be guided by
such report in making an order under this section.