Madras HC issues notice on plea seeking probe into CJP leader Saurav Das’ ancestry

The Madras High Court has issued notices to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson and journalist Saurav Das, along with several Union government departments, over a petition seeking an investigation into the journalist's ancestry, cancellation of his passport and Aadhaar, and the suspension of his social media accounts. 

The petition, filed by Ganesh Kumar Ramakumar, sought details of Saurav Das’ biological parents. It alleged that his real name is Yogesh Sharma and that he has Nepali origins. The petitioner has also sought an investigation into how the CJP leader obtained Indian identity documents despite his alleged Nepali ancestry.

A bench of Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan issued notices to the respondents, including the Regional Passport Officer in Chennai, the Chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Union Home Ministry, the Foreign Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Secretaries of the Ministries of Law and Justice and Electronics and Information Technology. Notices were also issued to the grievance officers of X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

The court made the notices returnable in six weeks and adjourned the hearing, Live Law reported.

Ganesh, a resident of Kanchipuram district, is the co-founder and director of software company Mahadhi Technologies. He has insisted that he is not pursuing the petition for “political gain, vendetta, media publicity, nor do I have any hidden agenda”.

Instead, he claimed locus standi as a “concerned citizen of the state” interested in exposing “certain self-appointed critics of the government and the Judiciary” who allegedly misuse social media to spread “false and unsubstantiated frivolous allegations”.

The petitioner alleged that Saurav Das, whose real name he claimed was “Yogesh Sharma”, was creating disharmony, anarchy, hatred, and unrest by repeatedly criticising and abusing the judiciary. As evidence, he attached a series of Saurav’s social media posts concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and his criticism of the judiciary.

Ganesh further claimed that Saurav was of Nepali origin and argued that the matter required investigation. “If found true, he cannot lecture about our government and our judiciary,” the petition stated.

Describing Saurav as an “abuser to hire”, the petitioner alleged that he had obtained an Aadhaar card, voter ID, and passport by concealing his alleged Nepali origins.

The petition has sought an inquiry into the journalist's ancestry and the authenticity of his identity documents, besides action against his social media accounts.