Delhi High Court to hear plea by journalist Vanessa Dougnac challenging denial of permission to work in India

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the Central government's response to a plea filed by French journalist Vanessa Dougnac challenging the government's decision to deny her permission to continue working as a journalist in India. .Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notice to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) and listed the case for further consideration on March 12. "It is a matter which concerns rights of an OCI card holder... matter needs immediate attention," the Court said as it ordered the FRRO to file its reply within a week. .When the matter was taken up for hearing today, Central Government Standing Counsel (CGSC) Anurag Ahluwalia told the Court permission was denied to her because she has "done the propaganda in bringing the country into a bad light."Advocate Vrinda Bhandari appeared for Dougnac and contested the claim stating she is a journalist living in India for more than two decades. She is married to an Indian and has lived here for over 25 years, Bhandari stated. .Dougnac was the South Asia Correspondent for French publications La Croix and Le Point, Swiss newspaper Le Temps and Belgium’s Le Soir.Notably, she left India on February 16, 2024 after the FRRO served a notice on her asking why her OCI card should not be cancelled as she was working as a journalist without any special permission as required under the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the relevant rules."Today, I am leaving India, the country where I came 25 years ago as a student, and where I have worked for 23 years as a journalist. The place where I married, raised my son, and which I call my home," the journalist had said in a statement after the FRRO notice..In her plea, Dougnac has argued that she applied for a special permit, to undertake journalistic activities as an OCI holder. However, on September 14, 2022, a one line communication was issued to her stating that the permission has been denied to her. “Application for OCI activity permission to undertake Journalistic Activity in India has been DENIED by the competent authority," the government conveyed. It is the journalist's case that the order has been passed in a mechanical manner, without any application of mind and in complete violation of the principles of natural justice and due process."The Petitioner (Dougnac) was the longest serving foreign correspondent in India. However, pursuant to the Impugned Order, it became impossible for her to work and earn her livelihood in India. Despite multiple informal and formal attempts at resolving the issue with Respondent Nos. 1 and 2, trying to understand the reasons behind the Impugned Order, and trying to get another OCI Activity Permission to undertake journalistic activities, the Petitioner did not receive any satisfactory response. Consequently, on 16.02.2024, she was forced to leave India, and return to France," her plea said.