The Madras High Court on Friday, October 30, issued notice to the Centre and other authorities on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an investigation into the nationality and background of Saurav Das, co-convenor of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

The petition, filed by Chennai-based petitioner R Ganesh Kumar, has urged the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to conduct a detailed inquiry into Das’s identity and family background. It has also sought the cancellation of his passport and Aadhaar card if an investigation establishes that he is not an Indian citizen.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan issued notices to the respondents, including the MHA, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, the Regional Passport Officer in Chennai and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The court has sought responses within six weeks.

The petitioner has identified Das as “Yogesh Sharma alias Saurav Das” and questioned his identity and antecedents. The plea also seeks an inquiry into the background of his family members.

The litigation, however, extends beyond the question of nationality. The petitioner has alleged that Das made derogatory remarks against the judiciary, including the Chief Justice of India and other Supreme Court judges. Citing these alleged statements, the petition has sought directions to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to block his accounts on X and Instagram and restrain him from making further allegedly derogatory remarks.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, B Jagannath, told the court that a representation had been submitted to the authorities on October 7, but no action had followed.

The High Court has issued notices and listed the matter for further consideration after six weeks. It has not made any finding on the allegations or ruled on the requested cancellation of identity documents.

The proceedings will now move to the response stage, where the authorities and other respondents will have an opportunity to present their positions.