In 2009, when he arrived from Pakistan to India, Dr Nanikraz Khanoomal Mukhi had few possessions. But what he had was immense hope in his heart – to give his family a better life, away from the “discrimination” they faced back home.
On Thursday, the elation in his voice was palpable as the 53-year-old was awarded a certificate of Indian citizenship through the Gujarat High Court that also disposed of his petition the same day.
“It feels like everything I had been struggling for is finally here. There’s nothing left to hold me back. Now, I can get an Aadhaar card and live my life not as a stateless person, but as a rightful citizen,” Dr Mukhi said.
Presently living in Sardar Nagar, Ahmedabad, Dr Mukhi, who hailed from Hyderabad of Sindh province in Pakistan, arrived to India on a visitor visa 16 years ago. He said he used to face discrimination in Pakistan since he was a Sindhi Hindu minority there.
A qualified doctor, Dr Mukhi completed his MBBS from Liaquat Medical College, Karachi, and holds a Diploma in Sonography from Jinnah Medical College, also in Karachi.
After arriving in India, he secured a Long Term Visa (LTV).
On August 20, 2016, he submitted an application for Indian citizenship under Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
On July 11, 2017, Dr Mukhi received a letter from the Office of the Collector and District Magistrate, Ahmedabad, acknowledging his application registration. On March 30, 2021, he formally renounced his Pakistani citizenship and surrendered his passport to the Embassy of Pakistan in New Delhi.
“They told me to pay the challan (fee) and said my citizenship will be processed within 15 days,” said Dr Mukhi.
Dr Mukhi’s wife Bhoji Bai, who had applied for citizenship alongside him, was granted the same on March 9, 2022. His daughter Nandita Das, currently pursuing MBBS at B J Medical College in Pune, was granted citizenship on October 16, 2024. His brothers Bhojo and Washu Mukhi, and sister Vijayanti Mukhi, were also granted citizenship. His application, though, remained pending, ostensibly on account of a pending intelligence report.
His son Kabir, currently studying MBBS in Kota, has applied for citizenship under Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. His youngest son Ranjit, who just completed Class 12, remains a Pakistani citizen. After making several follow-ups and repeated visits to the office of the DM, Dr Mukhi chose to approach the Gujarat High Court earlier this year, under Articles 14, 21, and 226 of the Constitution of India, along with Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
“It’s a bureaucratic paradox. I’m not a Pakistani anymore, and I’m not yet Indian. So, I fall through every crack in the system,” Dr Mukhi had earlier told The Indian Express.
In 2023, Dr Mukhi cleared the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) under the National Medical Commission and began practising in Rakhiyal, Ahmedabad. However, in October 2024, his clinic Jhulelal Sonography was sealed by the AMC Health Department (North Zone) on the grounds that he lacked registration with the Gujarat Medical Council, a process which, according to Dr Mukhi, is not possible without Indian citizenship.
Since then, he had been making ends meet by doing odd jobs in allied fields.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Ashwin Kharadi, Deputy Health Officer for the North Zone, said that the clinic was sealed by his predecessor.
Speaking to The Indian Express, advocate Ratna Vora, representing Dr Mukhi, said, “The application for citizenship had been pending since 2016. The petitioner filed another application in 2021, which was rejected. Thereafter, in 2024 he applied again and the matter was pending as they said they had not received the report of the Intelligence Bureau. We received the certificate today (Thursday), which means his application has been accepted and citizenship granted with effect from August 5. He is happy and relieved…”
On Thursday, when Dr Mukhi’s matter came up for hearing, Justice Niral Mehta orally said to his counsel, “They (respondents)have granted the certificate (of citizenship).” The court was referring to the Certificate of Registration issued by the DM and District Collector of Ahmedabad on August 5, which was handed over to the petitioner on Thursday.
The certificate stated, “In exercise of the powers conferred upon the undersigned… this is to certify that the person whose particulars are given below has been registered as a citizen of India under the provisions of Section 5(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.”
Citizenship in India is governed by the Citizenship Act of 1955. This Act outlines how a person can acquire Indian citizenship — by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation, or when a new territory becomes part of India.
(Jay Jani is an intern with The Indian Express, Ahmedabad)
A qualified doctor, Dr Mukhi completed his MBBS from Liaquat Medical College, Karachi, and holds a Diploma in Sonography from Jinnah Medical College, also in Karachi. 
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