No such country exists: SC to petitioner who claimed Vanuatu citizenship

The Supreme Court on Tuesday remarked “there is no country like that” while hearing a bail plea of an accused who claimed to be a citizen of Vanuatu, a Pacific island nation, during proceedings in a cheating case.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria was hearing a petition challenging a Calcutta High Court order denying bail. Counsel for the petitioner submitted that he had been in custody for nearly one year and three months and had already secured bail in four other cases.

“You are a citizen of which country?” the bench asked. When the lawyer replied that the petitioner was a citizen of Vanuatu, the judges enquired whether he had travelled there. On being told no, the bench observed, “There is no country like that. We also know a country called Kailasa. Similar to that,” according to court proceedings.

The remark appeared to reference claims by self-styled godman Nithyananda about a fictional nation called the “United States of Kailasa”.

During the hearing, the bench asked the counsel appearing for the West Bengal government how long the trial would take to conclude. The state’s lawyer said proceedings were likely to finish within six to eight months.

Following this submission, the petitioner’s counsel sought permission to withdraw the plea, and the court dismissed the petition as withdrawn.
Vanuatu is a recognised sovereign republic in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and north-east of New Caledonia.

The country gained independence from joint British-French rule in 1980 and is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth and several regional organisations. Known for its tourism sector, marine biodiversity and active volcanic landscape, Vanuatu has also drawn global attention for its citizenship-by-investment programme.

Despite its small population, the island nation regularly fields athletes at the Olympic Games and other international competitions, participating in disciplines such as athletics, judo and boxing.