SUSANTH MATHEW Vs. PASSPORT OFFICER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) PETITIONER is a football player. In order to participate in the Football Matches in connection with the Asian Football Cup, petitioner has to travel to Thailand, Hongkong and Indonesia. He was issued an Indian passport bearing No.2541049. The passport expired on 06-10-2010. But, however, the petitioner did not make an application within time to get it extended. Therefore, he made an application before the respondents on 24-01-2011 for a fresh passport, with a request to issue a passport under the Tatkal scheme. It is stated that along with the application, the old passport was also surrendered by the petitioner.

(2.) ACCORDING to the petitioner, subsequently, one copy of the application made by him was returned with an endorsement to resubmit the same with the verification certificate from the concerned police station. It is stated that thereupon he obtained Ext.P3 verification certificate from the Sub Inspector of Police, Ambalavayal. Ext.P3 verification certificate along with Ext.P3(a), the identity card of the Sub Inspector, was submitted before the respondent. Thereupon, the respondent took objection that Ext.P3 certificate was not in the official letter pad of the Sub Inspector and that the verification certificate has to be in the official letter pad. Petitioner again approached the Sub Inspector, who thereupon, issued Ext.P4 letter stating that he does not have any official letter pad and that therefore it was not possible to issue verification certificate in the letter head.

(3.) AS far as the police verification report is concerned, it is submitted on behalf of the respondent that in terms of the system followed by the respondent, the police verification report has to be in the official letter pad of the officer who issues the same. It is stated that the petitioner has to comply with that requirement.