Mumbai: In a relief to Supriya Sule, Baramati MP and the daughter of NCP president Sharad Pawar, Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a petition challenging her election on the ground that she had purchased a property in Singapore, and attained citizenship of that country.
The court on Friday held that though Sule had property in Singapore, it did not mean that she owed allegiance to the island nation.
Justice R C Chavan said that a person who has business interests in a foreign country, or even a tourist, has to abide by the host country's laws, and that does not amount to being a citizen there.
Mrinalini Kakde, who had lost to Sule in the Lok Sabha election in 2009, had filed the present petition, seeking that the election be invalidated, because Sule had acquired citizenship of Singapore, ceasing to an Indian citizen.
Sule and her husband Sadanand owned shares in two companies in Singapore. The companies owned a flat there, where the couple lived whenever they visited the country.
Justice Chavan held that having business interest in a foreign country cannot be equated to compromising the interests of the country of origin.
"There is no difficulty in concluding that respondent (Sule) holds property, with clarification that "holding" does mean she owns property. She owns shares of a company which owns the apartment. This makes her the licensee holder of the property through the company."
But, if it were to be held that having a business interest in a foreign country should make the person forsake interests in India, it would make it impossible for Indians to venture in businesses outside, the judge remarked.
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