Notice, not a finding: the Madras High Court has asked the Union government and Cockroach Janata Party co-convenor Saurav Das to respond to a PIL that questions Saurav Das’s nationality and seeks the blocking of his social media accounts.
Chennai: A public interest litigation questioning Saurav Das’s nationality and antecedents has drawn notice from the Madras High Court on Friday, October 30, 2026. The petition, which concerns Saurav Das, co-convenor of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), asks for an inquiry, for the cancellation of his passport and Aadhaar card if the allegations are established, and for the blocking of his X and Instagram accounts over alleged derogatory remarks against the judiciary [R. Ganesh Kumar v. Union of India and Others].
Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, sitting as a Division Bench, directed notice to the Union Home Ministry, the Regional Passport Officer, Chennai, the Chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Foreign Secretary, the Secretaries of the Ministries of Law and Justice and of Electronics and Information Technology, the grievance officers of X and Instagram, and Das himself. The notices are returnable in six weeks.
A preliminary step only
Issuing notice is not a finding on any of the claims. The allegations about Das’s nationality, documents and online remarks are the petitioner’s and remain untested. Das and the Union authorities have not yet filed their responses, and the Court has expressed no view on the merits.
What the petitioner wants
The PIL has been filed by R. Ganesh Kumar, who seeks a detailed, thorough and fair inquiry into Das’s background and antecedents, including details of his parents. The petition alleges that Das may be a Nepali national and that he suppressed material facts to obtain an Indian passport, Aadhaar card and voter ID. His passport and Aadhaar, it says, should be cancelled if these allegations are proved after inquiry.
The petitioner has also sought directions to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to block Das’s X and Instagram handles, and an order restraining him from making allegedly derogatory statements against the judiciary, particularly judges of the Supreme Court.
Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate B. Jagannath told the Bench that the petitioner had approached the authorities seeking an inquiry into Das’s antecedents, but no action had been taken.
A separate matter in Delhi
Das is also the subject of continuing proceedings in New Delhi over the alleged breach of his peace bond. Those proceedings arise from preventive action by the Parliament Street police under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
A Special Executive Magistrate there recently directed him to produce documents proving his current residential address in Delhi. That matter is listed on November 17.
Two questions waiting for the responses
Once the responses are in, the Court will have to address two distinct questions: whether a public interest petition is the proper route to seek an inquiry into an individual’s citizenship and identity documents, which are ordinarily matters for the statutory authorities, and whether courts can direct the blocking of a person’s social media accounts over criticism of the judiciary, a question that engages the right to free speech under Article 19(1)(a) and its permissible limits.
By seeking the views of the Home Ministry, the passport and Aadhaar authorities, MeitY and the platforms, as well as Das himself, the Bench has ensured that every side will be heard before any of the reliefs is considered.
Case Title: R. Ganesh Kumar v. Union of India and Others (Public Interest Litigation)
Bench: Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, Madras High Court
Date of Order: October 30, 2026 (notice returnable in six weeks)
Appearances: Advocate B. Jagannath for the petitioner