Calcutta HC stays Centre’s ‘Leave India Notice’ to Polish student

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday stayed the Centre’s notice asking a Polish student to leave India for allegedly participating in a protest rally against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the city.

Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya restrained the government from giving effect to the notice till March 18 when the court will pass an order on the student’s petition.

Kamil Siedczynski, the student from Poland who is enrolled for a Masters’ degree in the Department of Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University, was served a ‘Leave India Notice’ dated February 14 from the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Kolkata.

Opposing the Poland citizen’s prayer, the central government told the court that being a student visa holder, a foreigner cannot challenge a law passed by the Indian Parliament.

In his petition before the high court, Siedczynski prayed for a restraining order on the authorities from giving effect to the notice, which asked him to leave India within 14 days of receiving the notice, and from deporting him.

Since he received the notice on February 24, he was required to leave the country by March 9.

Related news: Polish student asked to leave India after attending anti-CAA rally