KOSHY VARGHESE Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is before this Court seeking a direction by issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus directing respondents-1, 4 and 5 to hand over original passport and Overseas Citizen of India card ('OCI' for short) to the petitioner.

(2.) Heard Sri I.S.Dilip Kumar, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, Sri Aditya Singh, learned Central Government Counsel appearing for respondent No.1, Sri Nagaraj Damodar, learned counsel appearing for respondents 2 and 3 and Smt. Navya Shekhar, learned Additional Government Advocate appearing for respondents 4 and 5.

(3.) Facts, in brief, germane are as follows:- The petitioner is a citizen of United Kingdom and holds a OCI card for having born in this nation. The British passport comes about after acquiring citizen of United Kingdom and surrendering the passport that was issued to him in this country. The petitioner is one of the Directors of a business venture viz., "VDB Property Ventures Private Limited" a private limited company which is in the business of real estate i.e., purchase of properties and selling them to intending buyers. It is the claim that the Company of the petitioner ventures into an agreement with the purchasers and the Bank which is in the nature of tripartite agreement. The Company claims that it is not involved or has not directly borrowed any loan from the Bank in respect of any property intending to be purchased by the customers of the Company. This is the plea in the petition with regard to the business of the petitioner. The issue in the lis does not concern the claim of businesses or the business venture of the petitioner.