U.S. JOURNALIST'S OCI WAS CANCELLED FOR VIOLATING RULES

A US-based journalist for news agency Reuters, Raphael Satter, whose Overseas Indian Citizenship (OCI) card was cancelled by the Government of India, leading to him filing a case at the Delhi High Court, had openly violated the OCI card holders' rules that clearly stipulate that the card holder will have to take prior permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs for doing certain activities in India, which in Satter's case was engaging in journalism.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

The Sunday Guardian has accessed documentary evidence that clearly indicates that Satter, while holding an OCI card, was engaging in journalistic activities while being in India to meet his wife and family members.

In November 2023, Reuters published a story written by Satter and two other journalists in which he wrote about a Delhi-based information technology firm, Appin, which he claimed was involved in cyber espionage.

Later, on 4 December, acting on the application filed by "Association of Appin Training Centres", a Delhi court granted an initial injunction on their request and ordered Reuters to take down the article, which it did while it appealed that takedown order.

In October 2024, the same court vacated the injunction, noting that "as yet, the plaintiff has not been able to show any prima facie case to make interference in the process of journalism."

On 4 December 2023, as per the claims made by the US-based Satter in the Delhi High Court through his lawyer, he was communicated by the Indian government that his OCI status, which was allowed to him a year earlier, has been revoked for "practising [of] journalism without proper permission" OCI status is given to foreign citizens of Indian origin, or those married to Indian nationals, and allows for visa-free travel, residency and employment in India. Satter received his OCI through marriage.

After his case was listed and heard in the Delhi High Court on 12 March 2025, Satter shared several correspondence with multiple media outlets denying conducting journalism in India, while claiming that he only travelled to the country to visit family.

The next hearing of the case is 22 May in which government officials are likely to put out the evidence for cancelling his OCI status.