Sikkimese-Nepalese: Supreme Court deletes reference on 'foreign origin'

The SC has ordered removal of reference to the Sikkimese-Nepalese as "people of foreign origin" from its January 13 verdict on tax exemption in Sikkim, following a plea by the Centre and others for modification.

The remark made by SC in its verdict had sparked protests in Sikkim, with the Sikkimese-Nepalese community taking strong objections over it. A bench of justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna modified its verdict while hearing the Centre's plea along with petitions filed by Sikkim and private parties seeking modification of the remark.

SC agreed to remove the part "namely the Bhutia Lepchas and the persons of foreign origin settled in Sikkim like the Nepalese".