Summary: Sachin Naik and his wife Zahra are caught in a legal mess with the Indian government over visa issues and blacklisting accusations. The court has ruled in their favor, but the journey was anything but smooth.
Sachin Viswanath Naik, from Goa, and his wife Zahra Qadhiri, who lives in Finland, found themselves in a legal fight. Zahra, a Finnish citizen, often visited India on a tourist visa. Things got complicated when she applied for a new visa after marrying Sachin in 2024.
Zahra's application for a new visa was turned down without a clear reason. The Indian Embassy in Helsinki and the Bureau of Immigration were involved, but they didn't provide a good explanation. Despite trying several times, Zahra was met with silence.
The big surprise came when Zahra was put on a blacklist under the "A" category, which is serious. The authorities said she used a fake visa for business reasons. However, Zahra denied these claims, saying her visits were personal, not for business.
"Your Visa application, though processed, is not within the Mission to issue any kind of Visa to you."
Judges Bharati Dangre and Ashish S. Chavan handled the case. They found the blacklisting unfair, as Zahra wasn't given a proper chance to explain her side. The court stressed the need for fairness and giving people a chance to defend themselves.
The court ruled that Zahra should be given a fair chance to sort out the issue. The decision to blacklist her was considered unfair and not justified. The authorities were told to look at her visa application again within four weeks.
Sachin and Zahra can now go to the authorities again, with the court's support. If problems continue, they have the right to go back to court. The journey isn't over, but there's a way forward.
