Seema Haider’s daughter with Sachin Meena is not Indian, here’s why

Pakistani woman Seema Haider, who made headlines in 2023 for illegally crossing into India to be with her lover, Sachin Meena, has given birth to a baby girl on March 18, 2025. However, the child’s citizenship has been called into question due to Seema’s illegal entry into India.

Seema, who is from Pakistan’s Sindh province, enterned into India via Nepal in May 2023 without a visa or passport. She was arrested and later granted bail after revealing her secret. Seema later married Sachin and started living with him in Greater Noida.

Seema Haider and Sachin Meena annouced pregnancy on December 22, 2024, since then the dicussion on their child’s citizenship was in discussion. Let’s know what the law says:

Is Seema Haider’s daughter an Indian? What does the law say?

According to the Citizenship Act, a child born in India to a foreigner parent does not automatically acquire Indian citizenship if the parent entered India illegally. Seema’s illegal entry into India means that her child does not meet the criteria for Indian citizenship by birth.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Rudra Vikram Singh said that Seema’s child cannot get an Indian citizenship unless it is proven that Seema entered India legally. Section 3 C (ii) of the Citizenship Act clearly states that at the time of the child’s birth, one of the parents should be an Indian citizen, and the other should not be living in India illegally.

According to Live Hindustan’s report, Sachin’s lawyer, AP Singh, claimed that Seema had married Sachin in Nepal before entering India, making her an Indian citizen. However, this claim is yet to be decided by the court. AP Singh has also filed a petition before the President for citizenship for Seema Haider.

The case highlights the complexities surrounding citizenship laws in India, particularly when it comes to foreign nationals who enter the country illegally. The fate of Seema’s child and her own citizenship status remain uncertain, pending the outcome of the court case.