Indian born British academic, novelist and poet Nitasha Kaul has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Central government's decision to blacklist her from entering India and cancelling her Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status.
She is a professor of International Relations at the University of Westminster.Kaul, who has Kashmiri Pandit roots, studied economics at SRCC (Delhi University) and completed a joint PhD in Economics and Philosophy in the UK. She has written extensively on Kashmir, nationalism, and Hindutva. After the revocation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, Kaul testified before the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs about human rights in Kashmir.
According to news reports, in February 2024, Kaul arrived at Bengaluru airport to attend a “Constitution and National Unity” conference, invited by the Karnataka government. Despite holding a valid UK passport and an OCI card, she was denied entry and deported after being held for about 24 hours in a cell.In May 2025, the Indian government revoked her OCI status. The cancellation letter accused her of “anti-India” activities, saying her writings and speeches targeted India’s sovereignty.
Through this petition, she has requested the court to set aside the government’s decision and restore her OCI status, stating that the action taken against her is arbitrary, unjustified, and violative of basic legal and constitutional principles.
After the revocation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, Kaul also testified before the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, where she spoke about alleged human rights concerns and the situation in Kashmir.This testimony, according to government sources, formed part of the background for the subsequent action taken against her.
As per media reports, in February 2024, Kaul arrived at the Bengaluru airport to attend a conference titled “Constitution and National Unity”, for which she had been invited by the Karnataka government. Despite holding a valid UK passport and a valid OCI card, immigration authorities denied her entry into India.
She was detained for nearly 24 hours in a cell at the airport and was later deported back to the United Kingdom.In May 2025, the Indian government formally revoked her OCI status. The cancellation letter issued to her stated that she had been involved in “anti-India” activities.
It further alleged that her speeches, writings, and public engagements were aimed at questioning and undermining India’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interest. On this basis, the government justified its move to blacklist her and restrict her entry into the country.Challenging this decision, Kaul has approached the Delhi High Court arguing that her academic work and public commentary are part of her right to free speech and critical inquiry, and cannot be treated as a threat to the nation.
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