Iranian woman moves Madras High Court to know procedure for obtaining visa X-Miscellaneous
The petitioner claimed that the state could not restrict her free movement even after the bail was granted. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO
A 30-year-old Iranian woman, who was said to have been born in a Zoroastrian family but was forced to practice Islam in her country before converting to Christianity, approached the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Chennai to explain the procedure for obtaining an X-Miscellaneous Visa so that she could leave the special camp for foreigners in Tiruchi.
Pegah Ansari, Ansari Shapour’s daughter, told the court that she was born and raised in a Zoroastrian family in Tehran. Claiming that all citizens at birth are registered as Muslims in her country, regardless of their actual religious background or personal beliefs; the petitioner said: “As a result, although I was born into a Zoroastrian family, I was officially recorded as a Muslim in government records.”
She went on to say, “Throughout my life in Iran, I lived in constant fear of being persecuted for my religious beliefs and personal beliefs. Over time, I came to believe in and follow the teachings of Christianity. Due to the severe restrictions placed on religious conversions in Iran, I was forced to practice and profess my Christian faith only privately and secretly.”
Ms. Ansari said she had no choice but to flee her country in 2019 because her private conversion to Christianity became known to authorities in Iran, where she faced a real and imminent threat of persecution, harassment and possible arrest. She first flew to Georgia and underwent conversion through the appropriate religious process. She lived there until 2022.
Her second stop was Sri Lanka, where she stayed for about a month before flying to India on a one-month tourist visa in April 2022. “I came to India to seek safety, stability and freedom to live without fear of religious persecution,” the petitioner said, claiming he was granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in March 2025.
She said the Anjugramam police in Kanniyakumari district arrested her on December 10, 2025, when she went to a resort there to decorate the venue for a birthday party. Charges were filed against her for overstaying in India despite her tourist visa expiring on 12 May 2022. The police also found that the petitioner’s Iranian passport had expired on 17 February 2024.
The applicant was lodged in the Puzhal Women’s Prison near Chennai until she was granted bail by the Kanniyakumari Principal District and Sessions Court on 29 January 2026. Thereafter, the applicant was transferred to the Tiruchi Special Aliens Camp pursuant to a Government Order dated 23 December 2025 authorizing her deportation or deportation pending her detention.
Arguing that the State could not restrict her free movement even after bail, the applicant could only apply to the relevant authorities for transfer to another country if she could move freely without being confined to the confines of the special camp. The petitioner wanted to know the procedure for obtaining a visa needed for legal proceedings.
The petitioner stated that on June 25, 2026, she submitted a representation to the FRRO in this regard, but complained that the officer did not respond.
Published – 04 Nov 2026 02:13 IST