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Delhi High Court sets aside Centre's decision denying PIO-to-OCI conversion for The Wire founder Siddharth Varadarajan
The Delhi High Court on May 12, 2026, set aside the Centre's April 2, 2026 decision denying Siddharth Varadarajan's request to convert his PIO status to OCI, calling the refusal without reason. The court restored his application and ordered a fresh, reasoned decision under law, with a hearing on travel relief slated for May 13, 2026.
Why It Matters
This ruling mandates a reasoned, legally compliant reconsideration of PIO-to-OCI conversions and affects cross-border permissions for a prominent journalist.
Timeline
4 Events
May 13, 2026: Hearing listed on Varadarajan's travel plea
May 13, 2026
The court listed a hearing on Varadarajan's plea to let him travel and instructed the Centre to take instructions on this aspect, while demanding a reasoned order for the prior decision.
May 12, 2026: Delhi High Court sets aside Centre's decision
May 12, 2026
The Delhi High Court, while restoring Varadarajan's application, directed a fresh, reasoned order under law and noted the lack of reasons in the original refusal.
April 2, 2026: Centre rejects PIO-to-OCI conversion request
April 2, 2026
The Centre sent an impugned communication denying Siddharth Varadarajan's request to convert his PIO status to OCI.
2015: PIO cards automatically deemed OCI cards
2015
The article notes that all PIO cards were automatically deemed OCI cards after 2015.