Passport Authority cannot deny passport on basis of pending criminal case – terms Allahabad High Court
Passport Authority cannot deny passport on basis of pending criminal case – terms Allahabad
High Court
Akash Kumar of Jaunpur District had filed a writ petition to the Court with a request to quash Passport Seva Kendra, Varanasi order dated July 21, 2023 vide which his passport application was rejected on grounds of unclear police verification report.
A division bench comprising Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Prashant Kumar arrived to a verdict while disposing of a writ petition filed by Akash Kumar.
The court has directed the passport authority concerned to decide the claim of the petitioner for issuance of a passport within six weeks in the light of the relevant decisions of the apex court and the high court in this connection.
Akash Kumar In his writ petition, had also made a request to the court of law to issue directives to the regional passport officer, Lucknow, and Passport Seva Kendra, Varanasi, to issue a passport to him.
On such grounds, the counsel for the petitioner on having accepted the plea said that it is settled law by the apex court as well as this court that a passport cannot be denied merely on the basis of a criminal case.
Whilst supporting his submission, he totally depended on the judgment of this court in the case of Basoo Yadav Vs Union of India (2022), which covered the present case.
He also depended on the apex court judgement in the case of Vangala Kasturi Rangacharyulu Vs CBI (2021), ruling that the passport authority cannot deny renewal of a passport on the ground of pendency of a criminal appeal.
News Edit K.V.Raman
