HC stays Centre’s ‘leave India notice’ to Polish student

The Calcutta High Court has stayed the Centre's notice asking a Polish student to leave India for allegedly participating in a protest rally against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the city. Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya restrained the government from giving effect to the notice till 18 March when the court will pass an order on the student’s petition. Kamil Siedczynski, the student from Poland who is enrolled for a Masters' degree in the Department of Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University, was served a 'Leave India Notice' dated 14 February from the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Kolkata. The notice did not mention about any particular event. It said that Kamil Siedczynski ‘has been found to have engaged in anti-government activities’ and has thus violated visa guidelines. Opposing the Poland citizen's prayer, the central government told the court that being a student visa holder, a foreigner cannot challenge a law passed by the Indian Parliament.