Delhi HC issues notice to Centre on plea challenging YouTuber's blacklisting
New Delhi: In response to a petition moved by the wife of YouTuber Karl Rice, who has been blacklisted by the Indian government and been denied a visa to enter the country, the Delhi High Court, while issuing notice in the matter, has remarked that the Centre should furnish "justifiable reasons" on record to deny him entry inside India.
A single-judge bench of Justice Rekha Palli was hearing a petition moved by Rice's wife, Manisha Malik, where she has alleged that her husband has been "arbitrarily" denied visa and blacklisted despite complying with all the rules and conditions laid down by the authorities. The petition also claims that both Rice and Malik have been running pillar to post seeking a reason for the move but have received no response yet.
During the course of proceedings on Friday, Justice Palli, before seeking a response from the Central government, Bureau of Immigration (Ministry of Home Affairs) and Foreign Regional Registration Office, stated that it might be the prerogative of the authorities to deny him a visa and blacklist him but there has to be a justification for the same which shall be put on record by the respondents.
"You may be right in this...it is absolutely your prerogative to have him in the country or not, but it has to be justified on record," the court orally remarked. Justice Palli added that the said reasons have to be communicated to either Rock or his wife.
Meanwhile, appearing for Centre, Advocate Anurag Ahluwalia told the court that the Youtuber has been blacklisted for carrying out visa violations as he was on a spouse visa, despite which he was conducting business activities in India which contravened the rules. He further sought more time to file a reply in the matter.
Further during the hearing, when Advocate Fuzail Ayyubi, on behalf of Malik, sought a short date for the next hearing on account of the urgency of the matter, Justice Palli remarked: "...you have been out in October. In Covid, people are not seeing their family for more than one year...so it is all right...if you are in the right, you will succeed". The court gave 3-weeks' time to the authorities to file a counter-affidavit in the matter and fixed the hearing on September 23.
In the petition, Malik has claimed that Rice has been visiting India since 2013 and has been promoting Indian tourism through his Youtube channel where he showcases various states in the country. The plea further claims that after their marriage in 2019,
Rice complied the conditions imposed on the spouse visa but in October last year, the authorities rejected his visa request and didn't offer any clarification.
